


Star Wars: Force Mend

by Wonderlandleighleigh



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: AU, F/M, Gen, M/M, if you don't like AU's this may not be your Jam, like for real AU, warning for mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:41:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22220347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonderlandleighleigh/pseuds/Wonderlandleighleigh
Summary: After the events of the Force Awakens, Poe takes Finn to a Jedi Knight living in the outer rim who can help him remove the identification chip the First Order fitted him with as a baby. It sets off a chain of events no one saw coming.
Relationships: Leia Organa/Han Solo, Mara Jade/Luke Skywalker, Poe Dameron/Finn/Rey, Tenel Ka Djo/Jacen Solo
Comments: 22
Kudos: 104





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a for real AU that blends together some of the Extended Universe and some of the Sequel Trilogy. Basically, I'm taking what I want from each and having fun. :) If it's not your thing, that's totally cool. <3

_STAR WARS_

__

_The Resistance struggles after the destruction of the Starkiller Base.  
General Organa’s forces have retreated to the remote planet of Hoth, inhabiting their old Rebel base while they regroup. _

_Planets all over the galaxy quakes in fear the First Order continue their reign of terror, as Rey prepares to travel to find Luke Skywalker and bring him back to his family._

_While Han Solo lies in a coma after his encounter with Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron takes Finn to the far reaches of the Outer Rim to find a Jedi Knight in hiding who can remove Finn’s Stormtrooper ID chip, and possibly aid the Resistance..._

“Look, there’s like two people in the galaxy I know who can get that registration chip out of your arm without cutting it off.”

Finn stares at him. “You’re gonna cut off my- Poe.” 

Poe groans. “No. No, okay, I’m not cutting off your arm, I’m taking you to the guy who can do this without cutting off your arm.” 

“In the Outer Rim.” 

“Yep! He kinda...got tortured real bad the one time and disappeared for a while. But the people who need to find him know where he is.” 

Once they land, it takes them an hour to make their way across a deep, lush forest. 

“It’s beautiful here,” Finn comments. “Why didn’t we land closer?” 

“We can’t,” Poe explains. “There’s an energy field around the farm that keeps ships away.” 

Finn frowns, following Poe as he pushes some brush out of the way and hops an enormous log. “He lives on a farm? Like a...a farm farm?” 

“Yep! Hyper cattle, root sheep, chickens…” 

“What’s...what’s a chicken?” Finn asks. “Like a coward?” 

Poe chuckles. “They never gave you chicken in the First Order?” 

“We mostly ate gruel,” Finn admits. He sighs, stopping as he looks around. “Poe, I appreciate the help. I do. But...but we came all this way just to get this chip out? Really?” 

“And to make sure Jacen hasn’t gone fully nuts,” Poe admits. “He’s a friend. A little..off. I try to check in on him from time to time. C’mon!” 

Eventually, they come to a clearing where stands, off in the distance, a farmhouse and adjacent barn. Old fashioned looking and made of wood. Finn can hear the bleating of the root sheep, and Finn stops and squints as he sees...children. 

Children running around, milking hyper cattle and feeding chickens. He shakes his head slowly. “I don’t...Poe. Poe, is...are we…?” 

Poe smirks as they get closer. “We’re headed to Jacen Solo’s place.” 

“Jacen Solo. General Leia Organa’s oldest son. Jedi Knight. New Republic hero. Resistance fighter.” 

“Yep.” 

“The guys who spends his time rescuing kids from the First Order.” 

“That’s him.” 

“He’s gonna kill me.” 

“He’s not.” 

“I’m a Stormtrooper!” 

“You defected.” 

“He’s killed hundreds of Stormtroopers!” 

“You’re with me, you’re gonna be fine.” 

“Poe, stop walking towards the man who’s going to cut my head off!!” 

Poe chuckles as he gets to the front gate, shoving it open and grinning. “Hey, guys!” 

The kids look up and wave, calling his name, and a moment later, the door to the farmhouse opens, and a tall, handsome man with shaggy brown hair and a very full beard steps out, wiping his hands on his thin, sleeveless tunic. 

Finn takes him in, hanging back. He notices the lightsaber on his belt, the scars on his hands and bare arms. 

“Poe Dameron. On a mercy mission from my mother?” Jacen asks with a wide grin. “Or just come for fresh eggs?” 

“What is with that beard?” Poe asks with a laugh. “If Leia saw that thing, she’d use the Force to shave your face.” 

“Obi-Wan had a beard,” Jacen points out. “I’ve seen the photos. It was a great beard. I can pull off a beard.” He grins as he looks past Poe to Finn. “Who is your nervous friend?” 

Poe blows out a breath and dashes back, grabbing Finn by the arm. “Jacen Solo, Finn. Finn? Jacen Solo.” 

Jacen gazes at Finn for a long quiet moment, titing his head as he takes him in. He nods, his eyes going sad. “I’m so sorry, Finn. I’m sorry there was no one to save you when you were taken.” 

Finn frowns, stepping back. “How did you-” 

“Jedi,” Jacen grins sheepishly. “And I know the posture and look of someone trained to kill for no good reason. Come in! I’ve got some caf on the stove, and I believe the kids made roastberry jam the other day. It’s great on toasties.” 

***** 

As promised, there are steaming cups of caf and roastberry jam on toasties. 

Finn has never had caf this good, and roastberry jam is sweet and smokey and gooey on the toasties. He’s razed farms like this to the ground, but he’s never been inside one as a guest; never sat down at a table like this and shared a meal. 

Not like this. 

“So you’ve still got the Stormtrooper registration chip.” 

Finn nods. “I uh...tried to cut it out after I got out, but…” 

“They don’t make it easy,” Jacen nods, a grim look on his face. “Some of the older kids try to get it out themselves and it’s not pretty. But! My sister developed an extractor. It’s not painless, but it’s better than the alternative.” 

He gets to his feet and comes back with something that looks like a pen with a suction on the end, setting it down on the table. 

Finn looks at it worriedly, and then looks up at Jacen. 

“We can numb the extraction site,” he promises. “You’re going to be just fine, Finn.” 

Finn frowns as he watches the slightly older man as he pours more caf and then he turns to Poe. “This guy is so…” 

“Zen?” Poe smirks. “Yeah. The First Order makes him out to be a boogeyman, but really, he raises animals and makes sure the kids he saves get safe homes.” 

“I remember when he got dragged onto Kylo Ren’s ship. It was all anybody could talk about.” 

“I...I wouldn’t mention Kylo Ren to Jacen,” Poe tells him nervously.

“And why is that?” Jacen asks, stepping back over to the table and pouring both of them more caf as well. “He’s my brother, after all.” 

“Your bro-” Finn stops, eyes wide and shocked. “Kylo Ren is a Solo?” 

“The youngest Solo,” Jacen confirms with a nod. “There are four of us. It’s been...difficult.” 

“He tortured you,” Finn says. 

“Yes, he did,” Jacen nods into his mug. 

“You’re one of the fiercest men in the galaxy,” Finn points out. “How is Ren not dead?” 

“I would never kill my brother,” Jacen tells him. He sets his mug down and picks up the extractor, flicking a button. It whirs to life, and he sets it down. “Roll up your sleeve.” 

Finn does so slowly, feeling nervous. He holds his arm out, and watches as Jacen scoops up what looks like a handful of salve, slathering it on Finn’s wrist. 

“THis isn’t gonna hurt too bad, right?” Poe asks worried, scooting a little closer to Finn. “He’s gonna be okay?” 

“He’ll be fine,” Jacen grins kindly. “Take a deep breath, Finn.” 

He does, squeezing his eyes shut as well. 

***** 

“So?” 

It’s an hour later and Finn is resting comfortably in the farmhouse. He’d screamed a little, but oddly enough, none of the children had been unnerved, though Poe had. 

Jacen looks up from his spot on the back steps. He’d been gazing out at the farm beyond. “So. How are things?” 

Poe snorts. “Yeah. That’s what we’re starting with?” 

“What should we start with?” Jacen asks quietly. 

“Have you spoken to anybody recently?” Poe asks, sitting next to him. “Leia. Your father? Heard from Jaina, maybe? You know. All the people who are actively fighting this war?” 

Jacen takes a cleansing breath, closing his eyes. “No.” 

“And you’re okay with that?” 

“I’m not a Sith Lord,” Jacen tells him. “I’m okay with that.” 

“You’re too paranoid.” 

“I help people,” Jacen says. “I save as many kids as I can, and I stay out of the way.” 

“That’s cowardly.” 

“If you like.” 

“Jacen-” 

Jacen gets to his feet and pushes his hair back. “Poe, he almost had me. I nearly didn’t make it out of there. Ben and Snoke. They played on my...my worst fears. I was tortured for days and I was feeding off of Ben’s anger, and I could feel Jaina’s and the only thing that kept me from turning to the Dark Side was burrowing so deeply within myself that I fell into a Force coma. Which I didn’t know was an actual thing until I did it. It would have been nice to know. Maybe Luke knew. But we don’t know where Luke is, so…” 

Poe watches his quietly for a long moment. “Heard from the Queen Mother?” 

“Tenel Ka is busy,” Jacen tells him. 

“Don’t give me that,” Poe shakes his head. “I know you’ve been hiding kids in the Consortium” 

“Tenel Ka is busy,” he repeats. 

“Come back with us.” 

“The kids need me.” 

“Your mother needs you.” 

“My mother is the best general ever,” Jacen grins fondly. “And she doesn’t need to have her concentration split between fighting a war and worrying for another son.” 

Poe shakes his head. “You’re an ace pilot. You’re an incredible fighter. A Jedi Knight. You did nothing wrong, and you’re punishing yourself.” 

“I’m still healing, Poe,” Jacen admits. “I’m not ready to dive back into this.” 

“We need all the help we can get,” Poe says. “Your sister fights. Anakin, too.” 

Jacen frowns. “Anakin needs to be careful. If there’s one person Ben’s gunning for, it’s him.” 

“You could protect him,” Poe points out. “The kids will be safe here. With the energy field, and the older kids still here.”

“No,” Jacen shakes his head with a grimace. “If I leave, I’m dropping them off in Hapes first.” 

Poe lifts an eyebrow. “And how long’s that gonna take?”

Jacen gives him a lopsided grin. “However long the Queen Mother needs it to take.” 

“Ugh. Fine. Raise me when you’re ready, and I’ll send coordinates.” 

“Okay,” Jacen grins. “Keep an eye on your partner, Poe. He’s going to need guidance.” 

Poe shakes his head, confused. “I mean...he just found out what real chickens are, but-” 

“Poe,” Jacen sighs. “Don’t be dense.” 

“I’m not!” 

“He’s sensitive,” Jacen explains. “In the Force. And he has no idea yet.” 

“You can’t know that.” 

Jacen chuckles and looks out at the field. “No. Of course I can’t.” 

****

“Don’t go.” 

It’s two weeks later, and Tenel Ka’s arms are wrapped around him from behind as he looks out the windows of her chambers. 

Hapes is beautiful. And he knows he may never see it again. 

“Stay,” she whispers into his shoulder. “Stay with me. We’ll marry. You can keep rescuing all the children you want. We can have our own.” 

Jacen takes a breath and turns in her arms, gazing into her gray eyes. “My family needs me, Tenel Ka. I’ve abandoned them.” 

“Your brother nearly killed you,” she points out, cupping his face gently. 

“And my sister saved me,” Jacen reminds her. He gives her a soft lopsided grin. “You could always forsake the throne. Come back to the Jedi order. Fight with the Resistance.” 

She huffs and laughs softly. “Jacen.” 

“We could run away to fight the war together. It’d be romantic.” 

“My people need me.” 

He smiles sadly. “I know.” 

“If I were more selfish, I’d do it.” 

“If you were more selfish you wouldn’t be the woman I love,” he reminds her. “And you would throw me under house arrest and keep me from leaving.” 

“It’s not a terrible idea.” 

“House Arrested Husband,” Jacen chuckles. “Sounds like a bad romance play.” His grin falls. “You’re amazing, helping me to house all these kids...keep them safe.” 

“This is important,” she says firmly. “If we do nothing else, we protect the helpless.” 

“That’s very Jedi of you,” he says, kissing her forehead softly. 

“Jacen.” 

“Hm?” 

“Come back to me,” Tenel Ka tells him. 

“I wish I could make that promise,” he says. “But if I don’t come back, I’ll die as I am. I won’t be twisted like Ben. That I promise you.” 

He seals it with a soft, slow kiss, his hands in her copper hair, memorizing her the best he can. 

***** 

“HA!” 

Jaina Solo jumps nearly five feet in the air at Poe’s outburst. She whirls around from the maps she’d been looking over, eyes wide. “Yeesh. What Dameron?” 

Poe grins at her and holds up an old long-range communicator. “Guess who’s on his way?” 

Jaina snatches the communicator and reads out loud. “Wrapping up in Hapes. On my way to you now…” She gives Poe a shocked look. “Jasa?” 

Anakin’s ears perk up then and looks up from the ship he’d been repairing. “Jasa? Like...Jasa-Jasa, our brother, Jasa?” 

Jaina waves the communicator. “Jacen’s comin’ home, Nik!” 

Rey looks at them all, confused. “Who?” 

“Jaina’s brother,” Poe explains. ‘Her twin. Ren tortured him to the brink of insanity a couple of years ago and he disappeared. He’s been on the outer rim, rescuing kids from the First Order. That’s the guy I Took FInn to to get de-chipped.” 

“And he’s coming back?” Rey asks. “After abandoning the Resistance?” 

“Jacen has done important work,” Leia says as she walks over, Anakin following her closely. “He didn’t abandon us. He nearly turned to the Dark Side of the Force when Snoke and Kylo Ren captured him.” 

Rey gives her a troubled look. “Does he know about Han?” 

“No,” Poe tells her. “I...It didn’t seem like the right time.” 

“How is Han?” Finn asks, walking up. 

“Still comatose,” Leia sighs softly. “Still healing...perhaps Jacen’s presence will help.” 

***** 

As he hops out of his X-Wing, Jacen is immediately tackled by his brother and sister, grunting as he hits the ground. “Ow! Guys!” 

“You’re back!” Anakin cries. 

“Finally!” Jaina complains. 

“Hi!” he cries. “Gonna let me up so I can recover some dignity?” 

“Please. Like you ever had any. How many animals are in your X-Wing?” 

“Just the one crystal snake,” he promises as they both stand and help him to his feet. He smiles at them, wrapping an arm around each of them. “Hi.” He looks around the snow-covered base and blows out a breath, watching it swirl out into the cold air, as he looks ahead of them, finding his mother in front of them. 

“Hey, Mom,” he says quietly as she steps closer to them. “Long time no see.” 

She smiles sadly, tears in her eyes as she steps up, cupping his face while his siblings step back slightly. 

“Welcome home, Jacen,” she says softly. “It’s so good to see your face.” 

He can’t help a wide smile. 

**** 

He feels annoyance flair up as he looks from Poe and Finn and Rey, to his siblings, to his mother. “And nobody told me because why?” 

“Because I didn’t want this to be the reason you came back here,” Leia tells him. “You needed to come back on your own terms. In your own time. Not in a rush. Not out of worry or fear or anger.” 

Jacen clenches a fist and turns back towards the medical bay room, watching his father, laying still and nearly lifeless all but his breathing. He’s never seen his father so still before. Han Solo was always on the go. Even when he was sitting down, he was drumming a finger or tapping a foot, or just talking. 

And now… 

There’s a pull on him; an anger he feels that he lets go of immediately. 

“Maybe I can help him wake up,” Jacen says quietly. “I’ve practiced with stunned animals to help heal their minds...maybe…” 

“Or maybe if Uncle Luke hadn’t completely disappeared,” Jaina mutters darkly. 

“There is that,” Jacen agrees with a nod. “Do we have any ideas where he is?” 

“We do,” Leia says. “Rey will be taking the Falcon, Chewie and Artoo to find him.” 

Jacen feels his jaw clench. “But we’re all staying here.” 

“I’m needed here,” Leia explains. “And your uncle needs a push from an outsider. His shame is too much for him to face the three of you.” 

“What if we made him face us?” Anakin suggests. “Three on one. It always worked before.” 

“It never worked before,” Jaina points out. “He’d go all Master Skywalker on us and kick our butts.” 

“Besides,” Jacen adds. “Dad needs us.” 

*****  
He circles his father slowly, taking in the older look of the man; the stresses of the years etched into his face. 

He keeps expecting the man to wake up and grin, keep his eyes closed and say “Hey, Kid. Welcome home.” 

But he doesn’t, and Jacen knows he won’t. 

He lets out a slow breath and reaches through the Force, seeking out and finding Tenel Ka for a moment to take comfort in her. He gets a wave of warmth back, and he feels his shoulders relax just a little bit at he sits down on the stool next to his father’s bed. 

He keeps his breathing even and slow as he settles his hand on his father’s forehead, and reaches through the Force for strength, for healing, and for his father’s mind. 

“I am one with the Force,” he mutters softly. “And the Force is one with me. Help me find Han Solo. I know he’s here somewhere.”

Jacen keeps reaching, steadily, until the world around him falls away; the smell of antiseptic falls away, and is replaced by the slightly stale smell of engine grease. 

When he opens his eyes, the sterile white walls of the medical bay are gone, replaced by the Falcon. 

“Of course,” Jacen huffs out softly, looking around. It’s exactly as he remembers, and he quickly makes his way to the cockpit when he hears the tell-tale sounds of the control switches. He leans in, and watches as his father easily pilots the ship. 

“Hey, kid,” Han Solo grins, turning to him. “Welcome home.” 

Jacen smiles fondly. “Thanks, Dad. You look good.” 

“Yeah, not bad for being stabbed by your brother, huh?” 

Jacen sighs softly. “Yeah.” 

“Oh. I know that sigh,” Han says, as he turns back to the controls. “That’s the Jacen Solo ‘it’s all my fault’ sigh.” 

Jacen walks in slowly, settling into the co-pilot seat, still watching his father carefully. “Maybe if I’d been here-” 

“Your brother could have tried to turn you evil again?” Han suggests. “Or killed you instead?” He shakes his head. “I’m old, Kid. I’ve lived a long, full life. Had you guys. Loved your mother. Pissed off a couple mobsters. Fought a couple wars. You have your whole life ahead of you.” 

“I’d hate to experience it without my dad,” Jacen tells him. 

“Nothing lasts forever, Jacen,” Han grins. “Especially not musty old smugglers like me.” He gazes at Jacen with such affection that it almost breaks the younger solo’s heart. “I need you to do me a favor.” 

“Anything for you, Dad.” 

“Keep an eye on Rey and Finn,” Han says. “Jaina’s a born leader, but she doesn’t have your patience.” He gives his son a crooked grin. “I don’t know if anybody does.” 

“You do,” Jacen grins back. 

“Please. I nearly dropped you four in a Sarlac pit multiple times to be rid of you.” 

Jacen laughs softly and rests his forehead on his father’s shoulder. “Don’t be gone yet, Dad. We still need you. Ben still needs you.” 

Han rests a hand on the top of his head, and his vision goes black once again. 

When he opens his eyes, he can barely see for the tears blurring his vision. He rubs them to clear them, but leaves them there, not looking up. 

“Whatsa matter, kid?” Han mutters from the bed. “Not happy to see your old man awake?” 

A surprised sob spills from Jacen’s throat as he jerks his head up, looking into the dazed eyes of his father. “Dad,” he croaks out. 

Han reaches out slowly, and grips his son’s arm. “Don’t be afraid, Jasa. Don’t be afraid to live, Kid.” 

***** 

“What are you doing?” Rey asks. “How are you doing that?” 

Jacen doesn’t open his eyes. He’s levitating under his X-Wing’s nose, spare parts floating around him as he meditates. “Recentering. It’s been an emotional day.” 

“That...that’s amazing.” 

“You’ll get there.” 

“Me?” 

“Mhm,” Jacen nods, taking a deep breath. “You’re going to see Luke. He can help you.” 

“And the Resistance,” Rey adds. 

“I hope,” Jacen nods, taking another breath and reaching out with the Force. He senses friends, and even Luke for a brief moment before he’s shut out. Tenel Ka’s steadying presence grounds him once more, and he sends a similar feeling back to her before taking another deep breath and reaching further…

Further…

“There,” Jacen grins. 

Anakin grins a little as he walks up. “Hey, Rey. What’s Jasa doing?” 

“I don’t really know,” Rey admits. 

“Jasa.” 

“Nik.” 

“What are you doing?” 

“Something dumb,” Jacen admits. “Do me a favor?” 

“Anything.” 

“Shield our location for me.” 

Anakin smirks, and closes his eyes. “You, too, Rey. Close your eyes, reach out with your mind, like a big blanket and wrap the base in it. Keep it safe. Keep it quiet and hidden.” 

Jacen breathes and lets the Force guide him through, and when he opens his eyes, he’s standing in the private quarters on a Star Destroyer. It’s dark, and chilly in the room, as if someone has kept any heat from coming in. 

A black chair sits in the middle of the room, and in front of it, a pedestal with the gnarled, half-melted remains of a ghoulish helmet. 

“You’re less cowardly than I thought you were.” 

Jacen doesn’t turn, his eyes trained on the helmet. “And you’ve lost your way much more than I thought you had.” 

“You know nothing,” Kylo...Ben tells him. “You don’t know anything about me.” 

“I know everything about you, Ben.” Jacen glances at him finally. “You’re my brother.” 

“You’re nothing to me,” Ben tells him. 

“Then why is Dad still alive?” Jacen asks. 

Ben glowers at him. “You were so close, Jasa. So close to seeing the truth of it all, and you ran away from it.” 

“It wasn’t truth I turned from,” Jacen says softly. He steps closer to his younger brother, holding a hand out. “You’re still my brother, Ben. You can walk away.” 

“And if I don’t want to?” Ben asks. “If this is my destiny? To rule. To surpass you and Jaina and Nik and all previous Skywalkers?” 

Jacen smiles at him, as kindly as he can. “I don’t believe that’s true.” 

“Why is that?” 

“You called me Jasa.” He smiles even wider, before snatching up the helmet. 

Ben snarls out a “NO!” as Jacen disappears. 

***** 

Back on Hoth, the helmet drops heavily to the floor with a low, metal “thud,” making Rey yelp and jump back, losing her concentration. 

Jacen opens his eyes and looks to the helmet, as he settles back onto the ground from his meditation pose. 

“Did you just...steal Ben’s favorite toy?” Anakin asks, a little bewildered. 

Jacen gives his brother a crooked grin. “As an older sibling, isn’t is my job to tease my baby brother?”


	2. Chapter 2

Her cell door opens, and she looks up with bleary eyes at her captor, and smiles. 

“Hello, Dear Cousin,” she says in a raspy voice as she attempts to opens her arms to him, but fails due to the bonds on her wrists. “So good to see you again.” 

Ben stares at her as if she is nothing; a tool to be used. “Beru."

She giggles and tosses matted red hair away from her dirty face. “Who would you like to talk to today?” 

“You know,” he says, stepping closer. 

The girl laughs then, desperately. “You know I can’t do that. You know I can’t.” 

“You can. And you will. I can make you.” 

Beru Skywalker sighs softly and nods. “Be my guest. It won’t do you any good.” 

Ben closes the cell door behind him, and the Stormtroopers just outside try not to flinch at the screams.

*****

“I hate that beard, you know.” 

Jacen grins softly and turns to his mother from his X-Wing maintenance. “I know.” 

She’s not looking at him. She’s looking at the remains of her father’s mask and helmet; an unsettling reminder of a long-dead horror. 

“Why would he have this? Why would he want this?” Leia asks quietly. “We were always honest with you kids about who my father was; what happened to him and why. Your father and I never tried to hide him from you.” 

Jacen steps over to her slowly, rubbing at his own hair a little. “We each had different reactions to the stories. Jaina was Jaina about it. So confident that would never happen to her. Nik was so far removed from it there was a complete disconnect on how it could happen to anybody. Ben gobbled up those stories. Always wanted more. Always so intrigued.” 

“And you?” Leia asks, finally glancing up at her oldest son. 

“I feared it,” Jacen admits. “I wanted so badly to be anything but that, that when it came down to it, I nearly gave into it.” 

“But you didn’t,” Leia reminds him. “You protected yourself, and you came back to us.” 

He stays quiet for a long moment. 

“Why don’t you go with Rey to find Luke?” Leia suggests. 

Jacen shakes his head, grinning a little. “If you were just going to send me away, I could have just stayed on the farm. Or in Hapes.” 

“And how is the Queen Mother?” 

He gives a soft laugh. “Good. Amazing. She tried to bribe me with a marriage proposal to get me to stay.” 

“After this war is over, I can’t wait to go to that wedding,” she tells him. “But you’re right. Your place is here. I may send Jaina along.” 

“She’ll blow up the planet,” Jacen smiles lopsidedly. 

“Luke has been in hiding for too long,” Leia smirks back. “I think he could use a few explosions.” 

***** 

“How are you feeling?” Rey asks as she brings Han a steaming cup of caf and sits in the chair next to his bed. 

“Ah, y’know,” the older man says with a weak grin. “Stabbed by one kid, healed by another. I guess it all evens out in the end.” 

Rey tilts her head at him curiously. “I met Jaina and Anakin after Starkiller base was destroyed...why did no one mention Jacen?” 

“Cuz we always knew he’d come back when he was ready,” Han shrugs. “Jacen does things in his own time, in his own way.” 

Rey nods, looking thoughtful. “I was so...so angry...at Ren. After what he did to you.” 

“Trust me, I’m not thrilled either,” Han tells her. “But if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that anger gets ya nowhere fast.” 

“So...you’re not angry at him?” Rey asks, narrowing her eyes, trying to understand. 

“I’m a little mad, I’m not gonna lie,” Han says. “But he’s my son. And if he showed up on my doorstep tomorrow and asked for forgiveness, I’d give it to him. I’d help him.” 

“I don’t know if I can be that way,” Rey admits. “I’m afraid I can’t be.” 

“You learn,” Han grins, patting her arm. “And Luke can help with that stuff. Or he used to be able to. Who knows what he’s been up to all this time.” 

“What happened? Why...why did Luke Skywalker disappear in the first place?” Rey asks. 

Han rubs his eyes. “Definitely a story for another day.” 

“There is no other day,” Rey tells him. “I’m leaving in the morning to find Luke Skywalker. I need to know everything.” 

Han stays silent for a long moment, sipping his caf slowly before looking at her. “We were a family. Me and Leia. Our kids. Luke. His wife Mara and their daughter Beru. And...things weren’t perfect, but we made it work. We loved each other. Jaina and Jacen trained to be Jedi. And after them, Anakin and Ben.” 

“How did it all go wrong?” Rey asks. 

“Snoke, mostly. While Luke was training the boys, Snoke was in the shadows, influencing Ben. He was always the most ambitious of the kids. He wanted more than anything to be strong. To be powerful. To best his older siblings. Snoke gave him a way. And he followed it. Luke sensed the disturbance. He called Leia, but Luke confronted Ben before we could get there. They fought, and Ben disappeared for about two months.” 

“And then?” 

“Came back to Luke’s Jedi Academy with the Knights of Ren. They killed everyone. Except Luke and Nik.” 

“How did Nik survive?” Rey asks. 

Han can’t help a small grin. “Nik’s a better fighter than Ben. He won, and he and Luke escaped. Not long after, when we all regrouped back on Coruscant, Kylo Ren and his knights showed up. They kidnapped Luke’s daughter. No one has seen her since. Jaina and Nik have been leading search parties since it happened, but nothing’s come up.” 

“Where is she?” Rey asks, narrowing her eyes. “If she’s a Force user like the others, can’t they reach out and find her? And what about her mother?”

“Her Force powers are...not like anything else,” Leia says from the doorway, still holding the helmet in her hands. “They can be dangerous, more so than the other kids. So when she was younger, Luke blocked her ability to Force bond. Without that, it’s harder than it otherwise would be.” 

“And Mara took off on her own to find Beru,” Han adds. “Chewie and I have been looking for her. But there’s no trace.” 

“In-between smuggling wild animals,” Rey smirks at him. 

Leia lifts an eyebrow. 

Han shrugs. “Old habits, your Worship.” 

Rey shakes her head, thinking about all they’ve told her. “What’s dangerous about Beru Skywalker’s power?” 

Leia looks down at the helmet still clutched in her hands. “She speaks to the dead.” 

***** 

“Are you alright, little one?” 

It’s later, much later in Beru Skywalkers cell. After not getting what he wanted, Kylo Ren stormed out after delivering one last blow to her gut and leaving her on the floor. 

Still chained. 

Still trapped. 

She looks up into the worried eyes of a man she’s been talking to since she learned to speak. 

“Always,” she says as she does her best to wipe the blood from her mouth. “You know. Just some quality time with Cousin Ben.” 

He kneels slowly and opens his arms to her, as she’d done for Ben earlier, hoping for mercy then, she gets it now, in the arms of her long-dead grandfather, whose ghostly luminescent hand strokes her hair gently. 

“You’ll get out of here, Beru. They’ll come for you. Our family will come for you.” 

“When?” she asks helplessly, looking up into his scarred face. 

Anakin Skywalker looks to the door and nods. “Soon, little one. Hang on a little longer.” 

“He wanted to talk to Vader.” 

“There isn’t any Vader anymore. There’s just me.” 

“I tried to tell him,” Beru cries against his chest. “He won’t listen. I don’t want him to get you. I don’t want him to hurt you, Grandpa.” 

“Oh, Beru.” He smiles at her sadly. “You remind me so much of your grandmother.” 

***** 

“You wanna hear a joke?” 

Jaina stops in her tracks, closing her eyes and gripping her gear bag tightly. 

It’s late and cold, but she’s heading to the Falcon - alone. It’s clear to anyone who sees her that she’s sneaking out. 

“Your jokes are terrible,” Jaina says, turning to her brother. Jacen is sitting under his X-Wing, tending to the crystal snake he’d brought with him (he hadn’t been joking), and looking up at her expectantly. “And your beard is worse.” 

“I’ll give you the jokes,” he says. “But you leave my beard alone. I like my beard. It’s rugged.” 

“It’s ratty.” 

“So is your face.” 

“We’re twins, Jasa. We have pretty much the same face.” 

“You got me,” Jacen grins. “You can’t go get Luke alone.” 

“Then come with me,” Jaina says. “We’ll dump Nik on the ship too, the three of us will go together.” 

“No,” Jacen says softly. “I’m needed here.” 

“You’ve been needed here, and you ran away,” Jaina reminds him. 

He doesn’t reply, looking down at the snake crawling up his arm slowly. 

She sighs and shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I know why you had to leave. That was a low blow.” 

“I wanted to be here for you, Jaya,” he says quietly. “But I’m here for you now. And I’m telling you, jumping the gun and leaving without Rey isn’t a good call.”   
“Why?” 

“Because Luke’s lightsaber called to her,” Jacen points out. “In a way it never called any of us. Not even Beru.” 

Jaina blows out a breath. “God. Beru. There’s no sign of her. Anakin and I missed the entire Starkiller Base madness because we were looking for Beru.”

“I’ll find her,” Jacen says. 

“How?” 

“Well, I’ve made Ben very angry,” Jacen shrugs. “This time he’s not gonna come to turn me, but to kill me. And if I can get through to him before he tries, I can get to Beru.” 

“That is, literally, the worst plan I’ve ever heard,” Jaina tells him.

“Really? Because running off to get Luke on your own is, literally, the worst plan I’ve ever heard,” Jacen says. “But what do I know? I’m just a simple farmer.” 

“With insomnia,” Jaina sighs, setting her bag down and settling next to him. 

“I don’t sleep much anymore,” Jacen admits. 

“Nightmares?” she asks. 

He nods. “Nightmares.” 

“If we didn’t need you to help us fight this war so much, I’d shove you on that X-Wing and send you back to Hapes,” she sighs. 

He wraps his arm around her. “That’s because you’re a great sister.” 

“There’s a snake on your arm.” 

“Yep.” 

“You’re the worst.” 

“Yep.” 

***** 

Leia watches the following morning as Rey, Chewie and Jaina load up the Falcon. 

“Mom, stop worrying,” Jaina tells her as she hops back down to grab another bag. “I can feel it from here.” 

“I’m your mother, I’m allowed to worry,” Leia tells her with a slight grin. “You’re going to an uncharted planet to find a man who doesn’t want to be found.” 

Jaina sighs. “Well, he’s out of luck. Alone time is up. We’ve got a war to win, and he’s got a daughter to find.” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been actively looking through the Force,” Leia tells her. She shakes her head. “Losing a child is...difficult to face.” 

Anakin comes up behind his mother, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “It’s gonna be okay, Mom. You’ll see.” 

Leia grins sadly. “Always the optimist, Nik.” 

Rey steps over, dusting off her hands. “We’re off, General. We’ll contact you when we can.” 

Leia gazes at her affectionately and cups the younger woman’s face in her hands. “Do not let Luke deter you, Rey. And do me a favor?” 

“Anything,” Rey says. 

“Make sure my daughter doesn’t shoot her uncle anywhere he can’t bounce back from?” 

Rey laughs a little. “I promise.” 

They hug, before Rey turns to Finn and Poe, hugging them both tightly. 

“Don’t get into too much trouble without me,” she tells them, pulling back to kiss each of their cheeks. “I mean it.” 

“We’ll be fine,” Finn promises. “Go find Luke.” 

Poe nods. “And make sure Jaina doesn’t-” 

“Shoot him anywhere important, I know,” Rey grins, hugging them one more time.

Jaina kisses her mother’s cheek. “Don’t win the war without me, huh?” 

“No promises,” Leia smirks, hugging her tightly. 

Han steps up slowly, leaning on Jacen before leaning forward and hugging Jaina as well. “Be careful out there. And be careful with my ship.” 

“Dad. C’mon. I’m a better pilot than you.” 

Jacen gives a low whistle. “Are we really gonna start this fight while you’re leaving?” he asks as Jaina hugs Anakin.

“Yes, because I don’t have time for him to argue,” Jaina laughs as she turns to Jacen, looking into his eyes. “You’re gonna be okay without me, right?” 

“You’re my twin, Jaya,” Jacen grins. “I’m never really without you.” 

She sighs and hugs him tightly. “Love you, little brother.” 

“I’m so much taller than you are,” he counters, hugging her back. 

She laughs again and gives him a shove. “Okay. Be back in a while.” 

There are more hugs goodbye - Rey hugging Han, Chewie hugging everyone - before the two women board the Flacon and start it up. 

Leia reaches out and takes the hands of her sons, gripping them tightly as the ship takes off. 

“May the Force be with you,” she says quietly. 

***** 

“Queen Mother. So good to see you once again.” 

Tenel Ka takes a deep breath, and puts on her best poker face. “General Hux. Welcome back.” 

“I was hoping you could spare some of your time for me today,” he says, following her as she keeps walking towards the chambers she has set up as her office. His boots fall heavily next to her, a march that unnerves her to her core.

“Quite busy today, sadly,” she tells him. “I’m sorry you came all this way, but-” 

She stops when they get to her office, finding the top members of the Consortium waiting for her there. 

“Queen Mother,” their leader says, stepping forward. “I do believe you can make time for this.” 

Tenel Ka swallows imperceptibly, and gives a curt nod as the doors close behind them. 

She reaches through the Force, finding Jacen through their bond, and sends him the feeling of gripping his hand tightly.

***** 

“Something’s wrong,” Jacen says abruptly. 

Leia frowns, turning to him. “What do you mean?” 

“Tenel Ka,” he tells her. “Something is wrong. I need to go to Hapes.” 

“We need you here, Jacen,” Leia says firmly. “If Tenel Ka is in trouble, she’ll reach out.” 

“She just did,” he says, lifting his hand. “She gripped my hand. She’s worried about something.” 

“Until she reaches out through official channels, we can’t intervene,” Leia reminds him. “You know the rules.” 

“Mom-” 

“Jacen-” 

“Mom.” 

She reaches out, taking his arms. “Patience. Wait for another signal.” 

His mind races over possibility after possibility and he works to keep his breathing even, to be here and now. 

“Reach out, what else do you feel?” Leia asks. 

Jacen closes his eyes, taking another breath. “Trepidation,” he tells her. “Nervousness.” 

“No panic? No terror?” 

“Not yet,” he admits. “But there’s fear that it’ll come to that.” 

Leia nods and turns to Poe and Finn. “Start digging through back channels. Anything on what’s going on in Hapes.” She turns back to Jacen. “In the meantime, we got word that there’s a ship of children stopping to refuel in Corellia in two days. Can you handle that?” 

Jacen nods slowly, sending a wave of comfort to Tenel Ka through their connection, letting her know he’s there; letting her know that he’ll do whatever she needs him to. 

The feeling of a firm _Stay There_ comes back to him, and he nods to his mother. 

“I can handle it,” he tells her.

***** 

“Hux is on Hapes,” Finn tells them, hours later after digging through back channels and chatter. “He’s in a meeting with the Queen Mother and the Consortium heads.” 

“That doesn’t sound good,” Poe frowns. 

“It’s not,” Anakin says worriedly. “It’s an easy way to push the current Queen Mother out. Specifically if they know she’s chosen a non-Hapan Consort. With the First Order’s help they can either execute or exile her.” 

“And that’s not a far stretch for a system that’s historically stayed neutral during galactic wars,” Poe adds. “Who wants to tell Jacen?” 

Anakin bites his lip nervously. “How about we maybe...y’know. Keep this one under our hats until we figure out what to do about that ship refueling in Corellia?” 

“That sounds like a bad idea,” Finn says. “Not the worst idea, but not a good idea. We should tell him."

“Not yet,” Poe says.

Finn’s eyes widen. “If we he finds out we knew and didn’t tell him, and that situation goes south-” 

“He’d never get there in time,” Poe stops him. “Even if he left when he felt the Queen Mother reach out it’s two solar days to Hapes. To say nothing of the fact that the Queen Mother isn’t just a powerful ruler but an accomplished Jedi Knight. She’d likely have to save Jacen and herself if he showed up without warning.” 

“He just...he seems so even-keeled,” Finn says. “He doesn’t seem like he would fly off the handle.” 

“He wouldn’t,” Anakin confirms. “Unless you say ‘the Queen Mother of Hapes is in trouble.’ Then all that calm flies out the window in favor of ‘where is my lightsaber? Where is my blaster? Somebody fuel up my X-Wing so I can go stomp on somebody’s face.’” 

Poe and Finn stare at Anakin for a long moment before turning to each other. 

“This isn’t my fault,” Poe tells him. “It’s not my fault the Solos are nuts.” 

“You keep hanging out with them. That’s a choice.” 

“They’re my boss’s kids,” Poe counters. 

“Get better friends, Poe!” Finn cries.

“You guys done gossiping about whether I’ll go nuts or not?” Jacen asks as he walks over and looks over Finn’s shoulder at the information. 

“No,” Finn snaps. “Are you gonna go nuts?” 

“Depends on Hux’s next move,” Jacen admits. “If he harms one hair on Tenel Ka’s head, I’m going to find him and shove my lightsaber right up his-” 

“We get it,” Poe snaps. “Can we focus on the kids we’re saving now?” 

Jacen nods. “I gotta put in a couple of calls. Taking over the ship is gonna be pretty straightforward. Getting it to a planet that will take the kids is gonna be harder. If Tenel Ka is about to be overthrown, then Hapes isn’t safe anymore. Corellia doesn’t care, but there’s Endor.” 

“The Ewoks?” Finn asks, looking confused. 

“It’s safer than you think,” Jacen smirks. “So Endor might work. Bespin may also work, but only temporarily. Hoth won’t work. We’re here. Tatooine may be a good bet if we stay away from Mos Isley...Jakoo is a dump...Kashyyk is another one that may be good…” 

“How many of those ships have you swiped from the First Order?” Anakin asks, watching his brother as he works. 

“Ten,” Jacen shrugs. “Maybe twelve.” 

“That’s thousands of kids,” Poe points out. “You were supposed to be recovering from that whole Dark Side thing, you know.” 

“I was,” Jacen says. “By beating up Stormtroopers and rescuing babies.” 

Finn smirks at him. “Then let’s go rescue some more babies.”


	3. Chapter 3

Ahch-To is gorgeous, and Rey has never seen anything like it.

Remote clusters of islands pop out in jagged contrast to the blue ocean that surrounds them. 

It’s a far cry from Jakku, that’s for sure. 

“Have you ever seen anything like it?” Rey asks, a little breathless. 

Jaina grins at her a little. “No, I haven’t. It’s beautiful. If Luke was gonna hole up somewhere, at least we get some nice scenery out of it.” 

“You’re very angry with him,” Rey observes. 

Jaina takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly as she helps Chewie pilot the Falcon. “If I’m being completely honest? I’m...heartbroken. We used to be a family. Now....” 

“You sound as though you’re giving up,” Rey says softly, watching the other woman. 

“Believe me, if I was? I wouldn’t be here.” Jaina gives her a tight grin as they make a steady landing, and through the Force she can feel Rey’s empathy and her nervousness about all of this.

Jaina leads them off of the Falcon and looks around, up at the sky and down at…

Tiny little…

Furry little…

“What are those things?” Rey asks, bewildered. 

“I don’t know, but if I don’t bring one back for Jacen, he’s gonna punch me,” Jaina says. She squints up at the long, endless staircase leading…

“He’s here,” Jaina nods. “Up the stairs.” 

“How can you tell?” Rey asks, gripping the old lightsaber tightly. 

Jaina just grins and nudges her. “Go. I’ll wait here.” 

“You won’t come with?” 

She nudges the younger woman again. “Go.” 

***** 

“Zekk!” 

Zekk rolls his eyes as he looks at the holocomm. Jacen Solo. Bane of his existence for many years.

“Heard about the one stopping on Corellia?” Zekk asks as he pilots his ship. 

“I did. You got a place we can make the drop?” 

“It’s gonna be Endor.” 

“Endor it is,” Jacen grins widely. 

“You’re just excited because the last time you were there they tried to make you their king,” Mirka snorts. 

“Not at all,” Solo almost pouts. “They’re just so fuzzy. And innovative. I love those little guys.” 

“Uh-huh. Get to Corellia. Get the package, and head to Endor. I’ve got passcodes you can use at the checkpoints.” 

“You’re the best, Zekk.” 

“Oh, I know,” Zekk says, before pausing for a moment. “You heard about Hapes?” 

“See you on Endor.” 

Zekk huffs out a breath and shakes his head. “See you on Endor.” 

***** 

“Queen Mother, do you have any last words?” 

Tenel Ka lets out a slow breath as she stares down the 50 Stormtroopers aiming their blasters at her. 

This is not just a coup. This is not an assasination attempt in the darkest of night. 

This is an execution. 

She’s been doing her best to keep calm; to not let her fear seep through her bond with Jacen. His struggles with the Dark Side would overwhelm him if he knew what was happening and she refuses to be the cause of his downfall. 

They’ve taken her lightsaber and the mechanical arm she uses in place of her missing real one. They’ve beaten her and she’d spent the night in a cell in the dungeons of the Fountain Palace, awaiting her death, but no one came. 

Now, she stands before the Consortium members, General Hux, and his troops. 

And she smiles. 

“Well?” Hux snaps, obviously eager to get this over with; to sign his treaty with the Hapes Cluster and be on his way.

“Do you know,” Tenel Ka says after another moment of silence, turning to the Consortium members. “It occurs to me that you have always been so focused on who I am to Hapes, that you have been treating me only as the Queen Mother. And not what I actually am.”

The head of the Consortium smirks. Her wrinkled face widening with her lips. Her daughter would be in line to be Queen Mother if Tenel Ka were to be eliminated. 

“And what is that?” she asks, amused. 

She smiles warmly at all of them and uses her hand to smooth out her dingy, ripped dress a little. 

“A Jedi.” 

She lifts her hand and waves it lightly at the Stormtroopers. “Point those things at the Consortium.” 

And they do; blasters shifting from her to them. 

Tenel Ka shifts her hand and her lightsaber flies from Hux’s hand to her own. She lifts it, igniting it quickly.

“Honored Consortium members, ladies of my court, I give you a choice,” she says firmly and loudly. “If you truly believe that my rule has been detrimental to our way of life...if you feel that the First Order is what is going to fix what you see is broken, and help our people, then I will step down as Queen Mother. I will leave Hapes, and I will not return unless and until I am invited to do so.” 

They watch her move slowly and Hux pulls his blaster out, aiming for her head, but misses when she blocks it with her lightsaber. 

“But if you are being strongarmed by these men, then we will fight back,” Tenel Ka snaps. “And we will win because we are strong. We are many. What is more important to you? Installing a new Queen Mother? Or protecting the galaxy from these cowards?” 

***** 

“Man, this place is a dump,” Finn complains as he follows Poe, Jacen and Anakin through Bela Vistol. 

“This used to be an Imperial stronghold,” Anakin explains. “And they left it in pretty bad shape with the Empire fell. Corellia isn’t exactly rich so they may never get this place back on its feet.” 

“But it’s got fuel stores,” Poe adds. “Which is why…” he slows to a stop when they reach the carrier ship. “They’re here. An Action IV transport with no escort? That’s ballsy.” 

“The First Order is getting sloppy,” Jacen remarks. “They’re too confident. Which we can use to our advantage. C’mon.” 

Sneaking aboard is simple. Most of the Stormtroopers are stretching their legs.

One spots them from outside. 

“HEY!” 

Jacen locks the ship up behind him, but when the four men turn, they find another squad of twenty waiting for them. 

He waves a hand. “You would never doom a child to the life that you’ve been forced into.” 

“I would never doom a child to the life that I’ve been forced into,” each Stormtrooper repeats. 

“You will leave this ship and start a new life here on Corellia.” 

“I will leave this ship and start a new life here on Corellia.” 

“May the Force be with you,” Jacen grins as the Stormtroopers file off the ship and Anakin seals up the doors again. He turns to the others and nods. “Poe! Get us out of here. We should have the fuel to make it to Endor.” 

Poe nods and heads up.

“Anakin, raid the mess hall, let the kids out. Feed ‘em.” He turns to Finn and grins. “You’re with me.” 

“And what are we doing?” Finn asks, lifting an eyebrow. 

“Scavenger hunt,” Jacen smirks. “Aside from more Stormtroopers, there might be other First Order assholes aboard. Let’s go get ‘em.” 

***** 

“Rey said you’d come with.” 

Jaina looks up from the Porgs she’s been playing fetch with; throwing sticks for them to bring back to her, and takes in her uncle. 

He looks older now; his hair longer and gray, the wrinkles at the edges of his eyes are pronounced and his frown lines have deepened. 

She gets to her feet, but doesn’t say anything, still watching him.

“You’re upset with me,” Luke surmises. 

Still, Jaina stays silent, watching her uncle pace slowly.

“I can’t say that I blame you,” Luke admits. “But what happened to Ben...and his taking Beru...Mara leaving…” He sits down, shoulders slumped. “I could feel more fear and anger growing more constant and uncontrollable by the day.” 

Jaina watches him, feeling sympathy wash over her suddenly as she sits next to him. “Ever think it might be okay to feel those things as long as you don’t kill people because of them?” 

“Yes,” Luke says, slight amusement on top of his sadness. “But I couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t hurt your brother. Leaving was a strong reaction, but...I didn’t feel confident that I could be of any use to the Resistance or to you kids the way I was.” 

Jaina nods slowly. “You have any luck sensing Beru?” Jaina asks. 

“Once, but it was brief,” Luke admits. “She reached out to me, but I couldn’t get a hold of where she was.” He turns to his niece, lifting an eyebrow. “And now you’ve brought me a new Padawan to train.” 

Jaina blows out a breath. “Your lightsaber called to her,” she says. “She’s connected to it somehow.” 

“I used that one for a while,” Luke tells her. “But it wasn’t really mine. I didn’t build it.” 

She frowns, narrowing her eyes. 

Luke chuckles and gets to his feet again slowly, pacing a little and looking out over the water. “That lightsaber was my father’s. Your grandfather’s. And before I lost it on Bespin when he cut off my hand, before I went looking for a crazy old wizard on Tatooine, that crazy old wizard had it tucked away.” 

“That’s a lot of history for one weapon,” Jaina points out. “If it called out to Rey...does that mean she’s connected to Grandpa Anakin somehow?” 

“It certainly seems like she might be,” Luke says. 

“Great!” Jaina says. “Let’s pack up all your things and get outta here.” 

“I’m not leaving Ach-to yet, Jaya.” 

“Oh yes you are,” Jaina commands. “We’ve got a war to win, Beru to save and Ben to knock some sense into. You sitting on your butt in the middle of nowhere feeling sorry for yourself is a waste of time.” 

“Jaina-” 

“I’m in charge,” Jaina snaps. “You ditched us to feel your feelings in the middle of nowhere. Mom is busy. Mara is gone. Dad almost died. Jasa is a mess. Ben is evil. Nik is a baby. Beru is kidnapped. And then there’s me. I’m in charge. Get your stuff, and get on the Falcon.” 

Luke can’t help a fond smile. “You are so like your parents.” 

“You’re not going to distract me by being sentimental and nostalgic,” she tells him. 

“If we’re going to train Rey in the ways of the Force, this is the best place to do it,” Luke argues. “Away from the war.” 

Jaina narrows her eyes at him. “We?” 

“I can train Rey,” Luke explains. “But I don’t have a connection in the Force with her. The way I had with you and Jasa and the other kids in your class. You do.” 

“But I’m not a Jedi Master!” Jaina cries. “I can’t-” 

“Jedi Knights had Padawans, Jaina. I believe Rey is meant to be yours.” 

Jaina glowers at her uncle for a long, silent moment before she growls. “Stop enjoying this.” 

“No. You can’t make me.”


	4. Chapter 4

“So this is what you were up to while you were away?” Finn asks. “Hijacking slave transports and hiding the kids?” 

“I’m a Solo,” Jacen shrugs as they move through the transport ship, looking for Stormtroopers, both with blasters at the ready. “Twiddling my thumbs on the farm and doing nothing wasn’t really an option. I’ve got a friend...A pirate, who helps me find safe places for the kids. I take the ship manifests from each one, make sure I make notes on where each transport gets delivered. When this war is over, we’ll be able to reunite a lot of the kids with their families.” 

Finn swallows and nods as they turn a corner. “I wanna help you.” 

Jacen grins at him a little. “I appreciate that. But generally I have this handled, and you’ve got bigger fish to fry.” 

Finn narrows his eyes at the other man. “What does that mean?” 

Jacen stops walking, gazing at Finn. “I noticed it when Poe brought you to me. There’s a reason why you defected the way you did.” 

Finn swallows, staring at him, confused. “I don’t know what that means.” 

Jacen stays quiet for a moment before going on. “When Poe contacted me about you, he told me your story. That you watched someone you cared about die, and it affected you so intensely that you abandoned the First Order.” 

“I’d had enough,” Finn says quietly, looking away. “I’d seen so much death. So much suffering.” 

“Yeah, but you didn’t just see it,” Jacen says quietly. “You felt it.” 

Finn thinks that over, pursing his lips, and then taking a breath. “It’s the same way you feel things. And Rey feels things. Isn’t it?” 

Jacen smiles kindly. “The Force surrounds us all. It binds the universe together. And some people feel it more than others.” 

“So I’m...what?” Finn asks as Jacen starts walking again, following him. “A Jedi?” 

“You have to train to be a Jedi,” Jacen explains. “But I sensed it when we met. You’re strong in the Force, Finn. And I think you’ve known since you learned what it was.” He huffs and shakes his head. “I don’t sense anyone...and we haven’t taken off yet.” He taps his comm. “Nik? How many kids are on this transport?” 

“Twenty,” Nik responds. “Ages one to five and all girls.” 

“Why so few?” Jacen mutters to himself. “Usually there are a couple hundred. And for god’s sake. Poe! Why are we still on the ground?” 

“Because I can’t take off!” Poe snaps. “The ship is in perfect shape, but we’re grounded.” 

Nik’s voice comes through the comms, then, sounding concerned. “Uh...guys? You might wanna take a look out the windows.” 

Jacen stalks to the windows, glancing out, his eyes widening. 

“What?” Finn asks, rushing to stand next to him and look out.

Surrounding the ship are a dozen hooded women, hands raised, eyes closed, obviously using the Force to ground the ship.

“Poe,” Jacen says slowly. “Check the ship manifest. Where did these kids come from?” 

There’s silence for a moment before Poe responds. “Dathomir.” 

“Dathomir?!” Anakin snaps. “They came from- These are Nightsister babies!?” 

“Who the hell are Nightsisters?” Finn asks, looking confused. 

“They’re Dark Side users from the far end of the Hapes system,” Jacen explains. “And the First Order kidnapped their daughters. They’re here to get them back.” 

***** 

“Ah. My young apprentice.” 

Kylo Ren kneels and bows his head, helmet still firmly in place as the hologram of Supreme Leader Snoke flickers gently in front of him. “Yes, Master.” 

“The time is nigh,” Snoke tells him. “The new age of the Sith is upon us. What is the girl’s status?” 

“The Skywalker girl resists,” Ren tells his master, still not looking up. “She claims she cannot reach Vader.” 

“Hmm,” Snoke mutters thoughtfully. “Then perhaps it is not Vader we should be asking her to reach.” He folds his hands together, narrowing his eyes. “Come to my command ship, Kylo Ren. I have a gift for you. One more powerful than the helmet you lost.” 

Ren’s head snaps up suddenly. “I will get it back. Jacen Solo will pay for his foolishness and ignorance.” 

“He has great potential, still,” Snoke tells him. “Legend has it that with the right...suggestions, he can become a powerful Sith Lord. The Dark Side threatens to overwhelm the oldest Solo boy.” 

“He is not worthy, Master,” Ren insists. “He lacks vision.” 

“Then you’ll just have to kill him,” Snoke says simply. “It’s a shame, really. Darth Caedus’ rise could have been glorious.” 

Kylo Ren stays silent, feeling the jealousy and rage simmer inside of him, knowing his brother barely touched the darkness, but already has a destined Sith name. “I will kill him, and bring you back his head.” 

Snoke chuckles softly. “Very well, my apprentice.” 

_‘And I will take the name of Caedus as my own,’_ Ren vows to himself. 

***** 

“That’s a nice song,” Beru mutters softly, curled up in a corner of her cell as next to her, an old Jedi sits on the bench, humming softly. 

The man smiles fondly at her, his eyes far away. “My mother sang it to me. Before I was taken to the creche at the Jedi temple.” 

“When you were alive, did you miss her?” Beru asks, opening her eyes and looking into his eyes. 

He takes a breath, before looking at her. “We were taught to let go of attachments. I don’t think I missed her per se. But I did think of her fondly from time to time. When I felt low, I sometimes thought of her kind face, and it would lift my spirits.” 

“My mom doesn’t smile much,” Beru admits. “But when she does, it lights up the whole galaxy. I bet she’s looking for me right now.” 

“I know that she is, Beru. They will come for you.” 

Beru nods, and sits up, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. “Ben’s not here now. I can try to reach out again.” 

The old Jedi gets to his feet, pacing slowly in front of her. “Instead of reaching out to your family, I want you to reach out to the planet. You can ascertain where you are. Once you achieve that, we can work on broadcasting it out.” 

“Why didn’t we do that before, Master Kenobi?” Beru snaps, looking at him judgmentally. 

“You were weakened before, Beru,” Obi-Wan points out. “You needed time. And you needed your grandfather’s comfort. But it’s time to put in the work. Are you ready?” 

She huffs and rolls her shoulders. “Yes, Master.” 

“Good. Reach out with your feelings. Let the Force guide you. Let the call of the planet flow through you. It will tell you where you are.” 

“It’s hot,” Beru says. “So...so hot. It’s like the whole planet is lava.” 

“That is because it is,” Obi-Wan tells her. “What else?” 

Beru reaches farther, past the heat of the planet as a whole, and does her best to find traces of life. 

It doesn’t take long before a new presence hits her; a big one, feral and wild and she sees its face clear as day. Fangs and horns and narrowed eyes. 

She yelps and shuffles back further into her corner. “Oh my-!” 

“What did you see?” Obi-Wan asks gently. 

“A…” she pants and realization dawns on her. “A Roggwart. A Roggwart! Jasa used to show me holos of wild animals and one of them was a Roggwart and...and he always said they were native to-” she stops, and smiles. “Mustafar. I’m on Mustafar. I’M ON MUSTAFAR!” 

Obi-Wan smiles proudly at her. “Well done, Beru.” He sits in front of her cross-legged. “You see, the Force is about using your connection with it in conjunction with what you have already learned. What you are still learning. The Force is fluid and our relationship to it changes as we grow and change. The Dark Side is stagnant. It relies on the wielder’s inability to grow and adapt. To be stuck in their hate and fear and their rage.” 

Beru nods, listening carefully. “So how do we save Ben?” 

The old man grimaces and sighs. “It is unclear whether that’s possible. The things that he has done. The atrocities he’s been apart of…” 

Beru gazes at the old Jedi Master sadly. “He’s still family. And he’s not a Sith yet.” 

“Your hope is admirable, Beru,” Obi-Wan tells her, smiling fondly. “Do not lose that. Now. We must concentrate on broadcasting your location to those who would help you.” 

***** 

“The Force is different for everyone,” Jaina says as Rey stands on her hands, rocks floating around her. “For me, it’s like a big engine. It thrums and rumbles with life. Some Jedi, like my twin, when he meditates on it, he feels the world spin underneath him. Nik always says for him it feels like being in hyperspace in slow motion. There’s no wrong answer for how you connect. It’s personal, and special and unique. It says something that Jasa and I are twins but we feel the Force in almost opposite ways.” 

“Your mother and I feel it the same way,” Luke comments, from his spot on one of the rocks, watching them. “As an ocean wave, lapping at our feet.” 

Rey blows out a slow breath and takes another deep breath in, letting the Force guide her movements and the movements of the rocks around her. “To me it...it feels like...slow, shifting sand...it’s...cool, like the sun has gone down…” 

“Hold onto the feeling,” Jaina instructs. “Move with it. Remember that this isn’t about controlling the Force but working with it. Letting it be your ally, and not your tool.” 

Luke grins proudly at his niece. “I knew you’d be good at this.” 

Jaina points at him. “You’re still on notice, Uncle Luke. And we’re still leaving in a few days. You’re getting on the Falcon if I have to drag you by that raggedy beard.” 

“Raggedy,” Luke grumbles. 

Rey snorts in amusement and a rock drops. 

***** 

Anakin steps out of the transport ship slowly with his hands raised. 

He smiles nervously. “Hi! Hi there. I’m uh...I’m Nik.” He looks around at the dead bodies of the Stormtroopers around them. “Wow. You guys are not joking around.”

“You have our daughters,” one of the women growls. “And we have come to take them back.” 

Nik nods. “Yep. I know. I uh...I want to make it clear that my friends and I hijacked this ship with the express purpose of saving the children on board from the First Order. We were going to leave them on Endor to keep them safe until the war was over and we could reunite them with their families.” 

“And why should we believe you?” another woman snaps. “You men who lie and take what is not yours.” 

Another woman steps up, throwing her hood back to reveal red hair and sharp, green eyes. “Friends, he speaks true.” 

Anakin’s eyes widen in shock. “Aunt Mara?!” 

Mara Jade holds up a hand to silence him before turning back to the other women. “Nik is a Jedi Knight. He and his friends came here to keep your children from the First Order.” 

The women murmur amongst themselves as Anakin rushes up to Mara, throwing his arms around her. 

“Am I glad to see you,” Anakin huffs out a laugh. “And not just because you saved our butts, but because we’ve all been so worried about you. What are you doing with the Nightsisters?” 

“They’re not Nightsisters,” Mara tells him, as she pushes him back a little. “They’re the Witches of Dathomir. Light side users. And when the Hapan Queen Mother couldn’t convince the Council to join the war effort, they went rogue and started helping the Resistance in the Outer Rim.” 

“That’s amazing,” Anakin says in awe. “Have you been able to find Beru yet?” 

“We’re still looking,” Mara says grimly. “Any sign of my idiot husband? I heard he disappeared shortly after I did.” 

“Uh...well...kinda.” 

Mara doesn’t get a chance to respond, before the doors open again, and Finn and Jacen step out of the ship, helping the twenty children along to their mothers. 

“Hey, Aunt Mara,” Jacen grins crookedly. “Long time, no see.” 

“I see you’re feeling better,” she says, stepping up to let him hug her. “Good thing. We can’t afford for you to hide in the woods anymore.” 

“They can’t go back to Dathomir,” Jacen tells Mara, ignoring her jab. “There’ll be a new troop here any minute to take us down, and recollect the kids, and another waiting back on their home planet. I think we need to stick to our plan.” 

“Take them to Endor,” Mara nods. “It isn’t the worst idea. For a Solo plan.” 

“We have our moments,” Anakin grins. 

Mara looks to both of them, and then back to the women, holding their children tightly. She bites the inside of her cheek before turning back to the boys. “Okay. Let me talk to the Witches. If I can get them to agree, we’ll head out ASAP. If not, you guys are gonna have to hitch a ride back home someway else.” 

“You’re not...you’re not coming back with us?” Jacen asks, looking confused. 

“Not until I find Beru,” Mara tells them. “If you see your idiot uncle, tell him-” she swallows. “Just tell him you saw me, and that I’m alive.” She squeezes both of their arms before walking back to the Witches to talk to them. 

Poe and Finn step over to the Solo brothers, watching everything.

“Was that Mara Jade?” Poe asks. 

“Yep, that’s her,” Anakin nods. 

“So are we saved or screwed?” Finn asks. 

“Probably a little of both,” Anakin tells him. “But we’ll find out which is more prominent soon enough.” 

*****   
They had killed her father that morning, before they’d dragged her from her cell to the firing squad, and Tenel Ka stares at his lifeless face as she packs a small bag. 

“You are lucky that they are letting you take anything,” the Council-member by the door tells her. “That they’re letting you live it all.” 

Tenel Ka takes a breath and opens a drawer in her wardrobe, rummaging through it quickly. “Hux knows he has no choice. There aren’t any other Force wielders here. He knows that if I so chose, he’d be dead on the spot. I will say this for Ben Solo. He has taught his peers to fear the right things.” 

The Councilwoman snorts. 

Tenel Ka sighs softly as she finds an old, fragile necklace; made of shells and chord. The first gift Jacen ever gave her. They were children at Luke’s Jedi academy, then. They knew nothing. 

It almost feels like it had happened to someone else. 

She shoves it into her bag along with a few more items of clothing and armor, before turning. “I am ready.”


	5. Chapter 5

It’s the cold season on Dantooine; snowy, but pleasant in a lot of ways. 

The little cabin deep in the forest outside Dantoo Town stays relatively warm with the help of the old-fashioned fireplace. It’s low-tech to be sure, but Ahsoka Tano likes it that way these days. 

She’s old. She’s allowed her comforts, like listening to the firewood crackle under the flames and feeling the warmth on her face.

It’s nice. 

She’s annoyed to admit that Yoda had had the right idea in living simply like this, but the little old green guy had to be right about something.

"I always liked Master Yoda's little hut," a familiar voice says from behind her. "I thought it rather homey."

She closes her eyes and doesn't turn to face him. "What are you doing here, Obi-Wan?"

"There's a situation, Ahsoka," he tells her, coming to stand beside her, gazing down at the fire. "We need your help."

"We?" Ahsoka scoffs. "I only see one of you."

"Yes, well, you've actively blocked Anakin from appearing to you, so I've come on my own."

She stays quiet before turning to a small basket near the fire. She lifts it up and takes it to a table, emptying it of its contents: bread and root vegetables.

"I know that after the Empire fell, and Ezra Bridger was located, you decided to retire," Obi-Wan says as he turns to watch her. 

"I'm old. Clone Wars. Jedi training. Rebellion...sometimes I pass Resistance messages from operative to operative, but I can’t fight anymore wars. I've done my time."

"You're needed," he tells her. "Kylo Ren has abducted Beru Skywalker in the hopes that she will bring about the next Sith Ascension."

Ahsoka huffs bitterly. "Because I'm so useful when a Skywalker needs my help."

"You were for a long time," Obi-Wan points out gently. "You were a sister to him."

"A lot of good that did anybody in the end."

He watches her sympathetically. "Holding onto your guilt won't serve you. I should know."

"You don't do attachments," Ahsoka snaps quickly. 

"So we all like to say," Obi-Wan says sadly. "But even I had my follies. And you and I both know that Anakin was my brother, as much as he was yours."

"And we failed him." She sighs and wanders to a small chest in the corner, pulling out an old, dust-covered holopad. She holds it up to the old Jedi and flips it on, the flickering image of a beautiful woman popping up in his face. 

"Ahsoka, hi," Padme's voice says. "It's me. Listen, I know it's been a while, but...something's happened. Ani's mother died, and he...I don't think he's well. I know you have no interest in rejoining the order, but if you had time...if you could visit. He needs our support right now. Even a call on the holo might help-"

Ahsoka flips it off, looking away from Obi-Wan. "I didn't see this until it was too late. And for years, I thought he had died in Order 66. Until I found out otherwise.”

"You know, its strange," another voice says from behind them. "I always worried I would forget how beautiful Padme was. But I never have." 

Ahsoka swallows hard at the sound of her old master’s voice.

“Hi Snips,” he says softly, giving her a sad smile. “It’s been a long time. Thanks for letting me in.” 

She turns away from him, crossing her arms tightly. 

“I know you blame yourself for what happened to me,” Anakin says. “What I did to myself. To the galaxy. But you couldn’t have stopped it. Stopped me. I was so far gone, I would have killed you too.” 

“We were family!” Ahsoka cries, whirling around to face him. “I abandoned you. I should have been there. I could have saved you.” 

“We were...are family,” Anakin agrees. “Which is why I could never blame you for my mistakes. Not even when I was Vader.” He swallows, gazing at her. “But if you need to hear it, I forgive you. Can you ever forgive me? For what I became? For betraying everything and everyone?” 

Ahsoka’s hands shake around the holopad as she watches the two Jedi; these two men that had such influence over her young life, who really were mentors and teachers and brothers to her. 

Both gone for so long; now right in front of her. Asking for her forgiveness; for her help. 

“I forgive you,” she tells him. 

Anakin smiles at her warmly and she can tell he’s resisting the urge to reach out and take her hand.

“Will you help us?” Obi-Wan asks. 

She huffs and sets the holopad down carefully. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this. Will I ever be rid of you two?” 

“Not until you die,” Anakin responds with a small grin. “But then, we’ll be here waiting for you.” 

“Ugh.” 

Anakin frowns, offended. “A little respect for your old master.” 

Ahsoka snorts. “Old is right.” 

Obi-Wan frowns deeply. “Must the two of you be so...the two fo you?” 

Ahsoka and Anakin just smirk at each other fondly.

***** 

Kylo Ren kneels in front of Snoke’s throne, helmeted head bowed. “You summoned me, my master.” 

“Yes,” Snoke says thoughtfully. “As I said, I have a gift for you, Kylo Ren. Something that will aid us in the task at hand.” 

Ren glances up, as Snoke gestures to a black pedestal not far from his throne, where sits a cracked skull, its mouth open in what was likely a horrified scream. He narrows his eyes within his helmet as he stands and walks slowly towards it. 

“This, young Kylo Ren,” Snoke says. “This is the key to our victory.” 

The younger man reaches out, and before his gloved fingers can touch it, a spark of lightning forces him to jerk back. He turns back to Snoke, tilting his head. 

Snoke chuckles deeply. “Yes, my apprentice. There lies what remains of Sheev Palpetine. Founder of the Galactic Empire, Sith lord Darth Sidious. The Emperor. His skull and your cousin are the keys to our success.” 

Ren glances at the skull again, and then nods slowly. “Yes, my master.” 

***** 

“Okay!” Poe says as he flips the switches. They’re leaving the transport freighter behind in favor of cramming all twenty children, twelve women, plus the Solo brothers, himself and Finn into their stollen, Corellian class shuttle. “It’s a tight squeeze, but everybody’s onboard. Endor, here we come.” 

“So?” Finn asks, gazing at Mara. “Uh...you’re THE Mara Jade, right? I used to hear horror stories about you when I was a stormtrooper.” 

Mara’s eyes narrow at him and she reaches out, grabbing his wrist and jerking it toward herself, shoving his sleeve up to look. 

“I removed the chip, Mara, it’s okay,” Jacen tells her as he leans in the doorway, watching Poe take off. 

Mara huffs and lets go of Finn. “Can’t be too careful.” 

Finn nods, frowning as he rubs his wrist. 

“Yes,” she tells him. “I’m Mara Jade.” 

“You were the Emperor’s right hand,” Finn says. “That’s...that must have been-” 

“Traumatizing?” Mara offers. “It was.” 

Jacen watches her worriedly. “We’ll find Beru, Mara.” 

Mara glowers up at him. “I will find Beru. You will keep screwing around like dumb teenagers.” 

“We’re fighting a war,” Poe points out. “We all do our part. We can’t always focus on one missing kid.” 

“One missing kid that could help Snoke and Ben take over the galaxy,” Mara snaps. 

“Wait...what?” Finn asks, narrowing his eyes. “Take over- how would she do that?” 

“She speaks to the dead,” Anakin says as he steps in from the cargo bay. “But I guess nobody ever asked if her abilities went farther than that.” 

“In my travels, I found out that Ben believes that if Beru’s abilities are pushed hard enough and far enough, she won’t just be able to speak to the dead, but bring them back.” 

“Anybody else think that’s crazy?” Poe asks as he jumps to light speed. 

Jacen stares at Mara. “He’s trying to get her to raise the dead. The Sith?” 

Mara nods.” The Sith. Word is he hasn’t succeeded. But he won’t stop.”

“Not until we make him,” Finn says. “Still no word on where Beru is?” 

“No,” Mara says bitterly. “I’m still searching. And I’ll continue to search for as long as it takes.” 

*****

Jaina jogs behind Rey as she makes her way through the rocky paths of Ach-To. She watches the younger woman carefully, picking out fumbles and stumbles. She uses the Force to glide rocks and shells at Rey, making things harder, making things more frustrating. 

“Stop it!” Rey cries, stopping and whirling around.

“It’s an obstacle course,” Jaina tells her. “It has to have come obstacles. You have to learn not to let them bother you. To brush them off. Focus.” 

Rey nods and breathes hard, catching her breath. “Master Jaina, can I ask a question?” 

“You can always ask a question,” Jaina smirks. “You may not like the answer, is all.” 

Rey takes a breath and looks out over the water. “I’ve spent...I’ve spent all my life, wondering who I am. Why I was left on Jakku.” 

Jaina nods, watching her as she sits down. “You come from a hard life. It’s funny, your life wasn’t so different from the life my grandfather led as a little kid.” She grins. “Nik is kind of the family historian. He knows all of these tiny little bits and pieces about Skywalkers and Solos and Jedis and Sith and smugglers that Jasa and I wouldn’t ever think about. But he thinks about them all the time.” 

“What did he tell you?” Rey asks. 

“Our grandfather started out life as a slave on Tatooine,” Jaina says, sitting next to her. “He was nine when the Jedi scooped him up and took him in. He left behind his mother, who stayed a slave most of her life.” 

Rey nods. “I had parents. I...I remember so little about them, but I know I had them. And they left me there and I don’t know why. That fact...that aspect has been a part of me for what feels like my whole life.” 

“So either it’s gonna stay with you forever,” Jaina surmises. “Unless and until you find out the truth…” 

“Or?” 

Jaina shrugs at her. “The old Jedi, the ones that came even before Luke, they were against any Jedi having attachments. They thought that being attached to people and things was a pathway to the dark side of the Force.” 

“And what do you think?” Rey asks. 

“I think,” Jaina says slowly. “That you can choose what roll your parents and their actions play in your life. Everything we do is a choice. Every move we make, we choose. We choose who to spend our time with and what to spend our time on. It’s up to us.” 

“So you think I should choose to let go.” 

“I think you should choose what’s best for you,” Jaina corrects her. “Whether that’s letting go, or consciously holding on...it’s a choice you make. And most choices aren’t set in stone. You can change your mind.” 

“But it’s my choice,” Rey confirms. 

“It is,” Jaina nods. “And there’s a difference between searching for the truth, and letting it consume your whole world. I see that in my youngest brothers. Anakin...he searches for truth. Like I said, family historian.” 

“And Ben?” 

“Obsessed with broken bits and pieces of history,” Jaina answers. “Consumed by them.” 

Rey grins a little. “You think they’re both idiots.” 

“I’m an older sister,” Jaina smirks. “Of course I do. Look, the point is, that you’re gonna make choices in your life, and some of them will be mistakes. But the fact that you chose at all, that you took control and made a decision? That’s just as important as the outcome.” 

Rey chuckles and smiles at Jaina. “That’s not any Jedi teaching.” 

“Oh, no,” Jaina laughs. “That’s pure Han Solo. But oddly enough, if you put Jedi dogma and the wisdom that comes from a lifetime of crime and rebellion in a blender, it kinda makes for a balanced outlook on life.” 

“What would you do?” Rey asks her. “If you were me?” 

Jaina takes a breath, looking at the water again. “I’d hunt down every possible lead and clue until I found the truth. But we don’t have time for that. We’ve got a war to fight.” 

Rey nods, thinking that over. 

Jaina gets to her feet and stretches. “C’mon. I wanna show you something. On your feet, Padawan, let’s go.” 

***** 

“General Organa?” 

Leia turns to Connix, concerned. “What’s going on?” 

“There’s an incoming ship,” Connix tells her. “Rose is trying to make contact but it seems like it’s been badly damaged. It may crash into the snow not far from here.” 

Leia nods and gets to her feet. “Bundle up, Connix. You and I and Rose are going to go see what’s out there.” 

“Yes, General.” 

***** 

It’s night on Endor when they land, and Anakin watches as Jacen and Mara do their best to negotiate a safe haven for the Witches and their children with the Ewoks. 

It’s comical, watching his tall, confident older brother debate with these tiny teddy bear beings, but Anakin has other business. 

It hadn’t been easy to sneak the helmet off of Hoth. His mother had been watching it like a Yavin hawk, but Anakin is nothing if not the descendent of Jedi and the son of a smuggler, so he manages. 

His datapad lights the way through the woods to the small clearing. The holonet has all sorts of half-truths and strange facts, and the final resting place of Darth Vader just happens to be one of them. 

‘Deep in the woods on Endor. People who go say they can still hear that mechanical breathing.’ 

It takes him a while, but Anakin does find it. The remains of a funeral pyre and what looks like a few remaining scraps of machinery littered around. To most everyone else, this is spooky; Something to be thrilled by or scared of. 

But to Anakin, it is deeply sad. 

“Grandpa Anakin died saving Uncle Luke,” he says to no one in particular. “He spent two decades trapped in that suit with nothing but his fear and his anger and his loneliness.” He looks down at the gnarled, half-melted helmet in his hands. “Trapped in this thing.” 

He sighs and grips it tightly, gazing down at it. “I wish I knew what Ben thinks about when he looks at this thing. When he talks to this thing. All I see is a release from a life spent heartbroken.” 

“Not always heartbroken, Nik.” 

Anakin whirls around, looking for the owner of the warm voice, but finds no one. He takes a breath and kneels in the dirt and grass, setting the helmet aside, and starts to dig. When the dirt gets too hard to dig through, he pulls out his lightsaber and uses it to make the hole deeper, and when it’s deep enough, he puts his weapon away, holds the helmet with two hands, gazing down at it. 

“People always ask me if I feel weird about being named after you. And I guess, in a way, I do,” he admits. “I worry about falling down the same path you did. But I understand your past, Grandpa. This helmet is the last remaining piece of a life ruined. And it’s time to put it to bed.” 

With that, Anakin settles Darth Vader’s helmet into the ground and carefully covers it with dirt and brush. 

When he’s done, he stays in his position, kneeling on the ground, in the dark. 

“Rest easy, Grandpa,” he says softly. 

***** 

“You have got to be kidding me with this.” 

“What?” Anakin Skywalker asks, looking at his former Padowan, obviously confused. 

“This!” Ahsoka cries, pointing at the enormous, gaudy castle in front of them. 

“I...designed it myself?” 

“It is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen,” Ahsoka tells him. 

“It does lack a certain...restraint,” Obi-Wan admits as they look up from it. 

“He means taste,” Ahsoka says. 

“I get it, you hate it,” Anakin groans. 

“There’s a lava waterfall streaming out the back!” Ahsoka snaps, bewildered.

“Can we please just rescue Beru now?” 

“You say ‘we’ like the two of you aren’t ghosts,” Ahsoka huffs as she works her way towards the castle gates. 

The insides of the castle are just as bad as the outside as Ahsoka winds her way through its halls. She can feel the dark energy, almost as if it’s dripping from the walls. She notices then that she’s alone, no longer flanked by the two Jedi.

The castle is deathly quiet around her, and she tries to be surprised that there’s no one guarding this place, but Ahsoka knows that Ben Solo - Kylo Ren - is arrogant enough to believe no one would ever think to look here.

She sighs and closes her eyes, reaching out with the Force, through the murkiness and sting of the Dark Side, and what she finds is…

One small teenage girl shackled in a corner of a cell in the basement of this place. 

Ahsoka runs.


	6. Chapter 6

“What is this place?” Rey asks, as she looks around the cavern they’d jumped into. It’s dark, and she feels cold seeping into her skin as she gazes at what appears to be mirrored stone all around her.

“Jedi temple up top,” Jaina explains. “A little darkness at the bottom. Balance in the Force and all that.” 

“But why are we here?” Rey asks, narrowing her eyes at her teacher. “Didn’t Luke say that this was not someplace we should go?” 

“He did,” Jaina confirms. “But he’s not your teacher. I am.” She takes a deep, cleansing breath and steps up to the mirrored cave wall, her reflection staring back at her with its eyes open while she closes her own. 

Rey watches as figures begin to appear behind Jaina. Rey recognizes Leia, Luke, Han and Mara, but no one else. There are men and women crowding the mirror, all looking determined and proud.

Jaina opens her eyes and breathes out slowly, gazing at all the people staring back at her. “All of the people that came before me. Skywalkers, Solos. I carry them with me without even knowing it most of the time. But they’re always right behind me.” 

She closes her eyes again, and one-by-one, they fade away. She turns back to Rey and grins. “You ready?” 

“Me?” Rey asks worriedly. “But...but I have no family. I don’t-” 

“You did, once,” Jaina cuts her off. “And this may help us see their faces; help put all of this behind you.” 

Rey hesitates for a moment more before bolstering her courage and stepping up to the mirror. She does as Jaina did: taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. She waits a moment, and when she opens them, she finds that her own reflection is...joined by more of her own reflection, going back and back and back and back seemingly to eternity. 

“Let go,” Jaina orders her. “Let go of what you think you know about your family. Let go of the idea that they’re not out there. This is gonna sound hokey: but trust in the Force, Rey. It can guide you.” 

Rey blows out a breath and nods, doing her best to clear her mind of the idea that she has no family; that she is one entity, alone. She works to replace it with the idea that there was someone before her, and someone before that, and so-on; that she had to have come from somewhere.

The next time she opens her eyes, there is a man and a woman standing before her. One is wearing Mandalorian armor, complete with helmet on, while the other - a petite woman who looks like Rey, stands behind him, a hand on his arm. 

Rey gazes at them, her eyes fixed as more people appear before her. 

Behind them stands a splendidly dressed woman with blonde hair and sharp eyes, her chin held high. A red haired woman in Mandalorian armor, confident and earnest stands next to her. 

On the blonde's other side is a tall, handsome man; bearded, and-

“Jedi robes,” Rey whispers, gazing at the man. 

“Oh,” Luke whispers in shock behind them. 

Jaina frowns and turns to Luke. “You know him?” 

“Of course I do,” Luke smiles sadly, taking Jaina’s hand. 

“Who is he?” Rey asks, still gazing at him. 

“When I met him, he was a crazy old wizard in the deserts of Tatooine,” Luke tells them. “Who saved a clueless kid from some Tuscan Raiders, and feeding his damn fool ambitions of joining the Rebellion. But before that...He was a Jedi Master and General of the Clone Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi. My first teacher, and your grandfather’s best friend.” 

“But weren’t attachments big no-no’s back then?” Jaina asks, confused. “How would Rey be so directly related?” 

“I don’t know,” Luke admits. “But it explains why Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber called to her. Obi-Wan had it for twenty years. Kept it safe. It may have even helped him grieve the loss of my father to the Dark Side. His energy is in it just as much as his Father's.” 

Rey smiles, tears in her eyes as she gazes at all of them, resting a hand on the mirror in front of her. “I...I am a Kenobi? Was it his voice I heard when the lightsaber called out to me? What...what happened to all these people?” 

“After the Siege of Mandalore, many of its people went into hiding all over the galaxy,” Luke explains. 

“I...I still have so many questions,” Rey says. “But this is a start.” She gazes at Kenobi again, and can’t help a smile.

***** 

Poe lands the shuttle on Hoth and slumps back, closing his eyes before turning around to look at the group behind him. 

Mara has already stalked off the shuttle, and Anakin and Jacen aren’t far behind, leaving Finn the only one still on the ship.

“You okay?” Finn asks. 

Poe huffs out a breath and takes the other man’s hand, squeezing it, more to comfort himself. “Stormtroopers, kidnapped kids, Jedi witches, Mara Jade and teddy bear negotiations.” He rubs his eyes with his free hand. “I’m great.” 

Finn chuckles and sits in the copilot’s seat next to him. “When this war ends, we should kidnap Rey and go on vacation. I hear Naboo is nice.” 

“Real funny.” 

“I’m hilarious,” Finn smirks. “But seriously. You’re okay?” 

Poe nods. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. I just...I don’t feel like we’re any closer to ending this thing. The First Order keeps getting stronger, and we keep getting smaller. How are we gonna win?” 

Finn gazes at Poe for a long quiet moment. “We’ll win. I know we will.” 

Poe smirks. “Yeah? What, are you a Jedi now, too?” 

“Maybe I am,” Finn smirks back. “Maybe I will be.” 

“Real funny.” 

“I’m not being funny,” Finn tells him, pulling him closer. “Jacen said I’m strong with the Force. That I’m...sensitive. And I feel it, too. I’m like Rey.” 

Poe laughs a little. “How’d I wind up with two Jedi kids?” 

“You’re just that lucky.” 

“Stop flirting with me, I have to report back to the General.” 

***** 

Jacen heads off the shuttle and freezes when he feels his bond with Tenel Ka, strong as day as if she were down the hall. 

He takes off running. 

Anakin watches his brother, confused. “Uh...you know, sometimes I really worry about his mental state?” 

“That makes two of us,” Han says as he pats his younger son on the shoulder. “How’d it go?” 

“Well. We found Aunt Mara. Which is great. But also, there were Dathomirian witches. Force babies. Ewoks. It was a whole thing.” 

Han chuckles a little and wraps an arm around Anakin’s neck, walking with him further into the base. “I noticed Vader’s helmet is missing.” 

“Is it?” Anakin asks, his voice going up two octaves. “Huh. That’s wild. Wonder where it went. Maybe it got eaten by a wompa.” 

“Sure it did. What’d you do with it?” 

“I...absconded with it.” 

“Uh-huh. You stole it out from under your mother’s nose. Where is it now?” 

Anakin stops walking and huffs out a breath. “I took it to Endor. I buried it where Uncle Luke lit the funeral pyre. I put it to rest.” 

“You don’t think Ben’s gonna go looking for it?” Han asks sternly. 

“Then I’ll get it back again, and bury it again,” Anakin snaps. “It’s insane, worshipping the remnants of somebody’s greatest shame that way. I don’t understand Ben at all. Anakin Skywalker died a Jedi!” 

"And before that he was the biggest monster the galaxy ever had, aside from the Emperor," Han snaps. "Forgiveness is all well and good, kid, but ignoring the dead bodies he left in his wake is dangerous."

"No. No, not ignoring. But if he's irredeemable, then so is Ben!” Anakin points out loudly. 

“That’s different.” 

Anakin snorts. “Why, because Ben is your son, and Vader was the boogieman? The longer this goes on, the darker Ben becomes, and treating Anakin Skywalker’s fall like something that could never happen to Ben because you think our grandfather was just a bad guy who did bad things and not a complicated human traumatized from a lifetime of slavery and war is dangerous!” 

“Hey!” Han snaps. “You don’t get to lecture me on this. You weren’t even born when any of this happened. Vader murdered hundreds of thousands of people, including his own wife, and a temple-full of kids. You don’t think your sympathy might be a little misplaced?” 

“And Ben’s so innocent?” Anakin asks, bewildered. 

“I know Ben!” 

“He’s been enslaving kids and murdering people all over the galaxy. He nearly killed you! You think maybe you don’t know him as well as you thought you did?” Anakin rubs his face. “You know what? I don’t wanna do this anymore.” 

Han shakes his head as he watches Anakin storm off into the base.

***** 

“I promise I am fine.” 

“You got beat up when you crashed,” Jacen says. “Your father died. You’re not fine.” 

Tenel Ka closes her eyes tightly. “I have to be fine. Otherwise I will be of no use. And now that I am in exile from my people, I must be of some use here.” 

Jacen kisses her temple and looks up at Leia, who stands in the doorway. “Have we heard anything else from Hapes?” 

“There’s an uprising,” Leia tells them. “The First Order is trying to gain control, and the ruling class are cooperating, but the rest of the people are fighting back.” 

“I should be there,” Tenel Ka says bitterly. 

“They were going to execute you,” Jacen says gently. He gives her a tentative, crooked smile. “You’re not allowed to go out in a blaze of glory without me by your side, you know.” 

Tenel Ka rolls her eyes at him, but kisses his cheek, before turning to Leia. “What happens now?” 

“We’ll be moving soon,” she tells them. “We can’t stay on Hoth. We’ll find a new base.” 

“I can send a coded signal to the Flacon to let Jaina know,” Jacen offers. “I’d send it through the Force, but Ben’s probably listening in.” 

“There are First Order troops gathering near Ord Mantell,” Leia says. “Like they’re getting ready for something, but we’re not sure what.” 

“So we’re meeting them there?” Jacen asks. 

“We need to set up a new base of operations before we do,” Leia says. “We’ll be leaving in the morning.” She nods to them, and with that, she steps back out of the medical bay, leaving the two alone again.

Jacen sighs and holds her close. “I hate the way this happened, but I'm so glad you’re here.” 

She strokes his hair gently. “As am I. But things are only getting worse.” 

“We can fix things,” he says softly. “I know we can.” 

Tenel Ka shakes her head. “That unshakable hope. I do love it.” 

Jacen leans in to kiss her but stops when Anakin stumbles into the doorway. 

“I have a plan. I need your help. And Finn. And Poe. And Rose. I need your help.’ 

Jacen stares at his younger brother, taking in the wild look in his blue eyes. “Oh, that’s not a good look,” Jacen mutters. “That’s a crazytown look.” 

“Where is crazytown?” Tenel Ka asks, confused. 

“In Nik’s head,” Jacen tells her. “Nik, what do you want?” 

“To steal a Star Destroyer,” Anakin replies. “But don’t tell Mom.” 

**** 

Beru huddles tightly in the corner when she hears someone trying to open the cell door. 

“It’s alright, Beru,” her grandfather says gently. “Help is coming.” 

The door finally opens and standing there, is an older Togruta woman, holding two white lightsabers.

Anakin grins. “Hey, Snips.” 

Beru does her best to stand, though she’s still chained to the floor, red hair a tangle in her face as she gazes at them both.

The woman kneels down, using one of her lightsaber to slice cleanly through the chains, and then grins kindly at Beru. “Hey, Skygirl. You ready to get outta here?” 

“Who are you?” Beru asks. 

“Beru, this is my former Padawan, and good friend, Ahsoka Tano,” Anakin says. “She’s here to save you.” 

Beru nods as Ahsoka gets to her feet and leads her out of the cell, and down towards the lift back up to the main corridor. 

“Are you alright?” Ahsoka asks her, looking her over carefully as they get into the lift. 

“I might throw up,” Beru adimts. “I haven’t actually walked in a while. Or eaten. Or seen daylight. So.” 

Ahsoka nods and rests a hand on her shoulder, pulling back almost immediately as she feels a powerful connection to the girl through the Force. 

“Wh...what was that?” Beru asks, narrowing her eyes. 

Ahsoka sighs heavily and looks up at the ceiling. “No. No, no, no. No way, Skyguy, you can’t make me.” 

“It’s not my choice,” Anakin’s voice tells her. “It’s the Force.” 

“I’m not even a Jedi!” Ahsoka snaps. “I didn’t finish the training!” 

“You were trained enough, Snips,” Anakin argues. “And Beru is a lot less trouble than I ever was.” 

Ahsoka groans and crosses her arms, glowering off at nothing. 

“Why does he call you Snips?” Beru asks. 

“Because she’s snippy,” Anakin’s voice says. “And you, granddaughter, are destined to be Ahsoka’s padawan.” 

“I don’t want a padawan!” Ahsoka cries. 

“Neither did I,” Anakin points out. “What we want and what is aren’t always the same.” 

"She's too old."

"Luke was in his twenties. So was Leia."

"I'm too old."

"Yoda trained Luke well into his 800's." 

“I’m not a Jedi!” 

“Maybe that’s a good thing,” Beru says quietly. “Maybe...with what I can do, maybe I need someone who isn’t a Jedi to help me.” 

Ahsoka gazes down at the girls and sighs softly. “Let’s talk about it once we get out of here, okay?” 

The doors open and they rush out, Ahsoka holding onto Beru’s arm gently, helping her along as they head for the door. 

“I think it’s funny,” a metallic voice says behind them. “That you assumed I would make things easy for you.” 

The buzz of a lightsaber makes Ahsoka take a breath. She glances at Beru and mutters quietly. “Run. Run to my ship.” 

Beru nods and tries, but doesn’t get to the doors before Kylo Ren raises his free hand to seal the doors using the Force. 

Ahsoka turns, watching the younger man. “You’re out of your league, kid,” she says, igniting both of her lightsabers. 

“And you’re obsolete,” Ren tells her. “A relic that should have died long ago. Why Vader didn’t kill you is beyond me.” 

“Nobody has time for your trash talk,” Ahsoka tells him. “Or your overwrought, poorly-constructed lightsaber. Are those wires sticking out? What kind of hack job is that?” 

“You’re stalling,” Ren accuses her. “You’re out a practice. You don’t know if you can win this fight.” 

“You wanna bet?” Ahsoka smirks as she readies her lightsabers.

***** 

“You can’t stay here forever, you know.” 

Rey blinks rapidly. She’d been staring at the mirror for a long time now, Luke and Jaina having decided to give her some time to process it all.

The man’s voice behind her certainly didn’t belong to one of her friends, and when she turns around, she finds a man - one of the men she’d been gazing at in the mirror, standing there, staring with her. His blue, glowing face looks sad in the dim light as the sun goes down on Ach-To.

Rey stares at him in shock. “You...you’re Obi-Wan Kenobi.” 

He nods and sighs, smiling at her a little. “Yes, I am. And you are Rey.” 

“Yes.” 

He steps closer, gazing into the mirror at himself and the blonde woman next to him. “Oh, Satine. You should have told me.” 

“Is that her name?” Rey asks softly. 

“Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore,” Obi-Wan explains. “We had a...a complicated relationship. One that ended in her death.” 

“And before that?” Rey asks. 

“Before that we decided not to pursue a romance,” he tells her. “I was a Jedi Knight. I had vowed to forsake attachment. But...but we had one night together. In the early days of the war. We decided one night would be enough. Would have to be enough. I never knew about…” He eyes drift to the man in the Mandelorian armor. 

“And me?” Rey asks, trying not to be too eager. 

Obi-Wan turns his gaze on her, sadness in his eyes. “I wish I knew. But I...am glad to know that you’re apart of me. That I had a hand in leaving something good behind.” 

Rey watches him carefully. “You loved Satine?” 

“Deeply,” Obi-Wan admits. “Terribly.” He swallows but manages a smile. “But this is about you, Rey. Your path.” 

“What is my path?” she asks as the people in the mirror fade, her attention turning to the old ghost. 

“That’s your choice,” Obi-Wan tells her. “But I see in you a great potential for good. As I saw it in Luke. As he has seen it in others. Trust in the Force, Rey. It has already guided you here, to this moment of discovery. Do not stray from its path.” 

“Yes, Master Obi-Wan,” Rey nods, and then grins just a little. “Grandfather.” 

Obi-Wan tries not to smile.

And fails.


	7. Chapter 7

Beru watches from the doors of Vader’s castle as Ben and Ahsoka fight viciously. He’s large, and strong, but she’s quick, and efficient, blocking each thrust of his lightsaber, fending him off more efficiently than Beru thought possible. 

She huffs and turns back to the door, trying to get it open again, and grunting when it doesn’t work. 

“It’s useless to try and escape,” Ben tells her through the helmet. “Neither of you are leaving here alive.” 

Ahsoka rolls her eyes and keeps fighting, forcing him to stumble back into a wall, but as her lightsaber comes down on him, he blocks it quickly, shoving her back, and lifting it to use the hilt to jab her in the face. 

She grunts, and stumbles back as well, dropping one of her lightsabers but not bothering to pick it up as she goes after Ben again. 

He blocks her at every turn, and nearly manages to jab her in the side, before she twirls, lifts up the second lightsaber again and starts going on the offensive. 

It’s too much for Ben. She’s too fast, even as old as she is, and he finds himself stumbling back yet again, finally tripping and falling to the ground beneath him, his lightsaber skidding away. 

Two lightsabers cross at his neck as Ahsoka glowers down at him. “I don’t want to kill you. But I will if you don’t give me a choice.” 

Ben pants hard and lifts his helmet, revealing the incredibly young face below. 

It reminds her so much of Anakin during the war years, and she can’t help but hesitate. 

“I give,” he tells her. “You’ve won.” 

Ahsoka nods, and turns her lightsabers off, putting them away as she heads for Beru. “Don’t try to follow us, kid. I won’t be so kind next to him.” She leans over Beru and takes her hand, helping her to her feet. “C’mon. Let’s move.” 

“You’re weak to leave me here alive!” Ben shouts, getting to his feet, calling his lightsaber to his hand and igniting it to swing just as he gets to Ahsoka’s back. 

Beru screams, loudly. 

Louder than either Ahsoka or Ben have ever heard before, echoing through the castle, breaking at least one window, and making the ground quiver beneath them. Through the Force, they can all feel something shift and crack open. As if it has spit something into existence. 

In that moment, Ahsoka doesn’t have enough time to reach for a lightsaber to defend herself, but one is pulled from the holster on her belt lightning fast, and its white blade buzzes against Ben’s red one. 

Beru is staring behind Ahsoka, eyes wide with shock and a little horror. “I...I didn’t mean to. I didn’t...I didn’t know I could…” 

Ahsoka turns slowly, first seeing Ben, whose own eyes are wide with anger and shock, and then to the man holding the boy’s lightsaber at bay. 

Anakin Skywalker stands tall, and strong, and sure. 

And alive. 

It's a version Ahsoka isn't familiar with; the age he would have been at his death, but...no burns. No scars save the one over his eye.

No sign that this version of Anakin was ever Vader. 

“Beru, what have you done?” Ahsoka whispers. 

“No,” Ben says, staring at his very-much alive grandfather. “NO!” 

“Stand down, Ben,” Anakin orders. “I don’t wanna hurt you, but I will if I have to.” 

Ben begins to shake then, a snarl echoing through the castle as his eyes go bloodshot before they begin to glow yellow. 

“Ben, don’t,” Anakin warns him. “Do not do this. believe me, this is not the way!” 

“Anakin Skywalker is a LIE!” Ben growls. “WHERE IS VADER?!” he screams as he begins to attack Anakin relentlessly. “SHOW ME VADER!” 

Anakin takes it in stride, the movements of his former self; his true self coming back to him easily as he fends Ben off smoothly. “There is no Vader, Ben. Vader was an empty shell. A monster that I hid behind in pain and fear and anger and regret. And the moment I realized I couldn’t anymore - how wrong I’d been - Vader vanished.” 

“NO!” Ben howls, still on the attack, hacking at Anakin but to no avail as the man flips out of the way. 

Ahsoka jumps in then, using her other lightsaber to help her former master. 

Through the Force, Anakin reaches out to Beru.

_He’s distracted. The door is open. Run._

***** 

Luke wakes in a cold sweat in his little hut on Ach-To, breathing hard as a ripple in the Force washes over him. 

A ripple he hasn’t felt since…

“Father?” He whispers to the dark, laying nearly paralyzed as that particular Force signature - but much stronger than the last time he’d felt it - washes over him. 

Hot like the suns on Tatooine, and twice as determined. 

Luke closes his eyes and breathes, reaching out for the man. 

_“Son! It’s good to feel your presence, but I’m a little busy!”_

His eyes snap open, and he scrambles out of his bed, and out into the night, finding Jaina, Rey and Chewie sleeping under the stars in front of a pleasant fire. 

Artoo beeps at him excitedly, as he nudges the girls with his feet one after the other. 

“Up. Get up. We have to go.” 

Jaina groans and stares up at her uncle. “You’re the one who wanted to stay here.” 

“We can’t stay, we have to go,” Luke commands. “Up. Rey, get up.” 

Rey huffs and sits up, rubbing her eyes. “But what about my training?” 

Luke gives her a sympathetic look as he helps her to her feet. “This will have to be enough, padawan. From here, you train on the fly.” 

Rey looks a little delighted. “Like you?” 

He grins a little. “C’mon. Pack it up.” 

Jaina gets to her feet, only to stumble and fall again. “Ooh. What was that?” 

Luke grins at her a little. “That was a turning tide.” 

***** 

Han finds Anakin packing up a few boxes to be loaded onto the transports. They’re leaving Hoth soon, and it’s breakdown time. 

“Hey, Kid,” Han mutters softly as he watches his second-youngest. 

Anakin sighs softly and looks up, waving awkwardly. 

“Look, about before. I...I know that I’m...biased,” Han goes on. “Towards your brother in all this. I’m gonna think the best of him, like I think the best of all my kids, because you’re my kids...And you’re right. Vader was the boogieman. Tortured your mom and I. Sliced off your uncle’s hand, froze me in carbonite. I didn’t even hear the name Anakin Skywalker until after we won Endor. He was just a dead man that Luke sometimes talked about.” 

Anakin gets to his feet, listening to his father carefully. 

“I don’t have the Force,” Han shrugs. “I don’t see things the way you guys do, because I only know how to deal with what’s right in front of me. And what’s right in front of me is you and your siblings. And I don’t wanna lose any of you. D’you understand?” 

He nods and hugs his father tightly. “I do, Dad. I’m sorry I got so weird about all of this.” 

Han grins a little and pats his son’s back. “Well, it’s not like it isn’t a weird situation to begin with.” 

Anakin laughs a little and nods into his father’s shoulder.

*****

“You’re sure you won’t stay with us?” 

Mara shakes her head as she loads up her ship. “I need to find Beru.” 

“We can find her together,” Leia says. “And Luke should be coming back soon with Jaina and Rey. If we’re going to win this, we’re going to need each other.” 

“I can’t feel my daughter,” Mara says to her. “I haven’t been able to feel her since we cut her off from Force bonding, and now, because of that, she could be anywhere in the galaxy and I can’t find her.” She huffs and shakes her head. “What the hell were we thinking, Leia?” 

“That you didn’t understand her abilities,” Leia answers. “That you were protecting her, and everyone else until we could figure it out.” 

“Not good enough,” Mara says. “Send me a message when you get to the new base. I’ll check in. Maybe.” 

Leia shakes her head, and watches as the other woman starts to hop into her ship. When she feels a jerk in the Force, she stumbles. 

“Oh.” 

Mara freezes, and watches her, before looking around. “Ooh. What the kriff was that?” 

“I don’t…” Leia narrows her eyes and looks up, just as Jacen stumbles into the room.

“Why does it feel like the Force threw a bucket of ice water over my head?” he asks, looking bewildered. 

Han dashes over then, looking bewildered. “Nik just threw up on my shoes. What the hell is going on?” 

Leia grips the side of Mara’s ship, looking around, reaching out with the Force. “Something happened.” 

“Okay,” Han says slowly, looking around at his wife, sister-in-law and sons. “Clue me in. What happened?” 

Mara narrows her eyes. “Beru."

***** 

“He’s out of control,” Ahsoka says as they keep fighting and the castle starts to crumble around them. “I’m pretty sure you don’t wanna die again.” 

“Especially not here,” Anakin snaps as they keep fending Ben off. 

Ahsoka isn’t wrong. Ben is using the Force to break apart the walls and throw steel and stone at them, so blinded by his rage and the Dark Side that neither of them are sure that he even knows what’s happening. 

“We have to get out of here,” Ahsoka says. “We have to find Beru before someone else does. Something tells me your grandson didn’t come alone.” 

Anakin huffs out a breath and looks up at the crumbling ceiling. “I’ve got an idea.” 

Ahsoka follows his gaze and takes in a sharp breath. “I’m going to hate this, aren’t I?” 

“You usually do.” He lifts a hand and concentrates on the building. “Count of three?” 

Ahsoka reaches out and grabs his other hand, gripping it tightly. “On three.” 

He looks at her gratefully as they both concentrate on bringing the building down, just as Ben bum-rushes them, screaming still. 

***** 

Beru yelps as she watches from a few feet away as the castle crumbles in on itself, her eyes wide. 

“No! Grandfather!” she cries, shaking. 

“Poor child,” a thick, sinister voice says from behind her. “You’re all alone now. Except for me.” 

Thin, cold fingers wrap around her arm and begin to drag her away. 

“No, no, no, no, no,” Beru says, struggling to get away. “Let me go!” 

Snoke yanks her closer and snarls. “You are MINE, young Skywalker. As is the Galaxy.” 

He waves a hand in front of her face, and the world around her goes black.

***** 

Despite the turmoil in the Force, Leia knows they have to leave anyway, and makes sure the Resistance troops get off of Hoth safely before a cache of Stormtroopers land. 

“Just like old times,” Han mutters as he pilots the transport away. “Where to now, General?” he asks his wife. 

Leia, seemingly, doesn’t hear him. She’s staring out the window, lost in thought. 

“Leia.” 

She blinks, shaking her head and looks back at Han. “Hm?” 

“You set the new base coordinates up for everybody, right?” he asks. “Where are we headed?” 

“Bakura,” she tells him. “The Ghost crew is already there, setting up.” 

Han nods, and glances at her worriedly. “Things just got worse somehow, didn’t they?” 

“I...I don’t know,” Leia admits, sitting next to him. “It was a disturbance in the Force. I’ve never felt anything like it. Neither had Mara.” 

“Too bad she’s not coming with us,” Han comments. “Could sure use her in all of this.” 

“She’s trying to find Beru,” Leia says absently. 

Han swallows, looking at Leia worriedly. “You don’t think...that ripple in the Force…” 

“No,” Leia snaps. “No. Ben would never.” 

Han looks out in front of them again, thinking on his conversations with Anakin; how maybe Ben isn’t who they remember anymore; that if he really has fallen to the Dark Side…

He says none of this. 

“It’ll take us a while to get to Bakura,” Han says. “Maybe you should take a nap.” 

“I’m fine,” Leia says, grinning at him gratefully. “Are you alright? I heard you and Nik had an argument.” 

“Ah, we’re fine,” Han tells her. “He’s just...right. About a lot of things. And I don’t like it.” 

Leia chuckles and rests a hand on his arm. “It’s hard knowing how grown up and wise they’re getting...that maybe they don’t need us anymore. Well...three of them don’t need us anymore.” 

Han frowns as the ship’s comms buzz. “We’re getting an incoming transmission from -” His face lights up and flips it on. “Luke! Is that you?” 

“Hi, Han,” Luke’s voice comes through loud and clear. “Good to hear your voice.” 

“You have no idea, Buddy, where the hell have you been?” 

“It’s a long story.” 

“It’s not that long,” Jaina’s voice interjects. “Hi, Dad.” 

“Hey, Kiddo,” Han grins. “Everybody in one piece?” 

“Jaina made Luke shave before we left Ach-To,” Rey’s voice says. “He’s indignant, but otherwise, we’re all fine.” 

Han chuckles. “Jasa send you guys the coordinates for the next base?” 

“He did,” Jaina nods. “So we’re riding with you guys.” 

“You take care of my ship?” Han asks. 

Jaina groans softly. “You know I did.” 

“Luke,” Leia says softly. 

“Hi, Leia.” 

“Did you feel it?” she asks. 

Luke sighs softly. “I did.” 

“What was it?” Leia asks. 

“...We’ll talk when we get to Bakura.” 

***** 

Ahsoka pushes the rubble away, coughing and looking around wildly for either Ben or Anakin. 

“Oh, no,” she mutters as she starts using the Force to move debris around.

Anakin's annoyed groan echoes through the collapsed building. "Why are my ideas always like thi-"

He doesn't get to finish before Ahsoka is hugging him tightly. He huffs and hugs her back, holding her shoulders. 

"Another fine mess," she mutters as she pulls away. "Where's Ren?"

Anakin reaches out with the Force and then steps over to a pile of debris, moving it out of the way, uncovering an unconscious Ben Solo. He sighs heavily before grabbing his robes and hoisting him over his shoulder. 

"What are you doing?" Ahsoka asks suspiciously. 

"Obi-Wan left me here to die," he says quietly as he starts walking. "I won't leave him to the same fate."

"We need to find Beru and go," Ahsoka says, jerking around just as a First Order transport takes off. 

Anakin stares up at it, narrowing his eyes. "Snoke." He takes off running in the direction of Ahsoka's ship as fast as he can with the dead weight on his shoulders. "C'mon, Snips, we gotta follow him!"

She shakes her head. "Force give me strength," she mutters, before giving chase. "I'm flying!"

"What? I'm faster!"

"Master, if you crash my ship-"

"Then it's not a good ship to begin with."

"Ugh!"

*****

“What do you mean, Anakin Skywalker is back?” Leia snaps. 

They’ve landed at the base, and around them, Resistance troops are setting up shop, rushing around to get things up and running. 

But Leia is too busy staring at her brother. 

“I can’t explain it,” Luke tells her.

“Try,” she orders. 

“It was Beru,” Nik says as he walks up. “Had to have been.” 

Luke shakes his head. “We still don’t know if she’s capable-” 

“If Anakin Skywalker is back,” Jacen interjects. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.” 

Leia closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “We had enough problems as it was, with Snoke and Ben. Now we have to deal with our very evil father, too?” 

“He’s not evil anymore,” Luke defends. “Whatever Beru brought back, it’s not Vader.” 

“They’re the same person,” Leia points out. 

“Not anymore,” Luke shakes his head. “Vader is gone. For good. Don’t you feel it? Reach out to him.” 

“Are you crazy?” Leia snaps. “That monster-” 

“Mom,” Jacen says gently, wrapping his arm around her. “It’s okay, Mom. We’re all here, and no matter what happens, we won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

Leia looks up at her son and swallows, before reaching for Jaina and Nik as well. They gather close as she closes her eyes and reaches out through the Force, looking for Anakin Skywalker. 

***** 

“Oof,” Anakin mutters to himself as he finishes helping Ahsoka to tie Ben to one of the seats in her ship. He stumbles back a little, a hand to his head. 

“Anakin?” 

“I’m fine,” he tells her as he slumps into the pilot’s chair. “Just forgot how noisy the galaxy is. The Force is so quiet in the afterlife.” 

Ahsoka watches him carefully, crossing her arms as he settles into the pilot’s seat. “I’m calling it. You’re not in any shape to fight Snoke.” 

“What are you talking about?” he asks, bewildered. “Of course I am, I’m-” he stops and puts a hand to his head. “Oh…” 

“What?” Ahsoka asks. “What’s wrong?” 

He looks up at her, his eyes shining a little, his voice quiet. "Leia reached out.” 

She looks surprised. “She did?” 

“She still doesn’t trust me, but…” Anakin nods and takes a breath. “Okay. Snoke.” 

“No,” Ahsoka snaps. 

“Snips-” 

“You really want to take Ben right back to Snoke?” Ahsoka asks, bewildered. “He’s already going to turn on us when he wakes up. What do you think he’ll do with Snoke in the room to watch?” She shakes her head. “Wherever Leia is, take us there.” 

Anakin sits still, looking out at Mustafar; at the last place he was before he truly became Palpetine’s murder machine. “I don’t deserve to look her in the eyes,” he says quietly. 

Ahsoka’s voice is soft as she sits next to him, a hand on his arm. “I know that this is going to be hard for everyone. You. Your family. But you have to put that aside for now.” 

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes briefly, reaching into the Force for comfort, before opening them up and starting the ship. “Then I guess we’re going to Bakura.”


	8. Chapter 8

“You wanna do what?” Poe snaps, and is subsequently shushed by the Solo brothers. 

“If the grown-ups hear, they’re gonna come running,” Nik snaps. 

“We’re grown-ups,” Finn reminds him. “And this is a terrible plan.” 

“Eeeehhhh,” Jaina comments in a high-pitched voice. “I mean...terrible is kind of a relative term.” 

“You’re agreeing with this?” Poe asks, turning to her with wide eyes. “I can’t believe you’re agreeing with this. This plan is going to get us all killed.” 

“It won’t,” Rey says simply. “It’s where we need to be.” 

Tenel Ka nods. “I feel it, too. It’s our next step.” 

Jacen looks to Finn. “Reach out to the Force. What do you feel?” 

“No,” Finn snaps. “No, this is not a Force-thing. This is a Solo sibling suicide mission, and I don’t want any part of it.” 

Rose shrugs. “I’m in.” 

“Rose!” Finn cries. “Seriously?” 

“I wanna steal a Star Destroyer,” Rose tells him. “Don’t you wanna steal a Star Destroyer?” 

Poe hesitates. “I mean...it does have a nice ring to it…stealing a Star Destroyer.” 

“The question is how?” Rey asks. “There’s only eight of us. We can’t ask the Resistance fleet to drop everything and help, especially behind Leia’s back.” 

“Maybe there’s only eight of us,” Jacen grins. “But five of us are Jedi.” 

“I’m not a Jedi yet,” Rey says quickly. 

“Close enough,” Nik shrugs. “And I’m real good with mind tricks.” 

“You’re not that good,” Jaina tells him. 

Nik turns to her and waves a hand. “You really need to sneeze.” 

Jaina instantly sneezes, and then glowers at him. “Do that again. I dare you.” 

“See?” Nik grins broadly. “Real good.” 

“We are all going to die,” Finn tells them. “You are all crazy, and we’re all gonna die.” 

“Have faith,” Jacen tells him. “Trust in the Force. We’re on the right track here.” 

Jaina gasps and whirls to face her brother. “You have a padawan too!” 

“Oh, no way,” Jacen snaps. “I almost went dark side, nobody needs me to train anybody.” 

“I know what all this is,” Poe says, interrupting them. “This is about the fact that somehow, some way, Anakin Skywalker is back from the dead, and nobody wants to talk about it.” 

Nik turns to Poe, eyes wide and innocent. “But...stealing a Star Destroyer, Poe. A Star Destroyer.” 

“What was that about stealing a Star Destroyer?” 

The assembled group freeze as a man with salt and pepper hair and sharp blue eyes steps over, grinning at them knowingly.

“Uuuuuuhhhhhhhhh Master Ezra!” Jaina stumbles. “We were just-” 

“Planning to steal a Star Destroyer,” Ezra Bridger chuckles. “Yeah, I heard.” 

“It’s really just a theoretical,” Nik says. “It’s not...y’know. It’s just a hairbrained-” 

“You’re leaving tonight, don’t think I don’t know,” Bridger cuts him off. “Do you have a plan for how to actually, physically steal it? It takes a lot of people to pilot one of those things, and there are less than ten of you.” 

“Do you have any ideas?” Poe asks, lifting an eyebrow. “Because if you’ve got them, we’re all ears.” 

Ezra takes a breath and smiles, turning to Finn mischievously. “Working on one of those things sucks, right?” 

“So much,” Finn says quickly. “A lot.” 

“You’re probably not the only one who thinks so,” Ezra says, gazing at him. “Not the only Stormtrooper to look around and wonder how the hell they wound up in that life. Wondered how they could get out. If they could run away without the fear of execution by the First Order.” 

Finn stares at him, and smiles slowly. 

Tenel Ka smiles as well. “Ah.” 

Little by little, the group catches on, and Ezra Bridger chuckles and pats Finn’s shoulder. “May the Force be with you, Finn. But I think it already is.” 

As he walks away, Jacen turns to the group, smirking viciously. 

“Okay. So we start a mutiny on a Star Destroyer and THEN we steal it.” 

***** 

Beru Skywalker paces her new holding cell on Snoke’s ship, biting her nails.

“How did I do that?” she worries to no one in particular. “How did I bring the dead back to life? How did I DO that?” 

“You must calm down,” Obi-Wan Kenobi’s voice tells her. “You’ll not do yourself any good if you have a breakdown in your cell.” 

“That’s easy for you to say, you’re still dead!” Beru squeaks. 

“Remember what we practiced,” Obi-Wan tells her, watching as she keeps pacing. “You must quiet your mind. You must reach out through the Force and-” 

“The Force has done nothing but get me into this mess!” Beru cries. “These powers are because I have the Force! Ben wouldn’t be evil if he didn’t have the Force, the Force is a jerk!” 

Obi-Wan stares at her for a long, silent moment, before he begins to laugh.

Beru stomps a foot. “What is so funny?!” 

The old Jedi does his best to get himself under control, a hand covering his mouth and breathing deeply. He pulls it away, and he’s still smiling. “You, my dear, are such a Skywalker.” 

She huffs and slumps down next to him on the bench. “Do you think that I brought Grandfather back, and then he died again?” 

“No,” Obi-Wan smiles kindly at her. “For one thing, Anakin Skywalker is a very hard man to kill. And for another, I can feel his lifeforce. He lives. As does Ahsoka.” 

Beru nods and glances at Obi-Wan. 

He glances back. “What?” 

“If I brought Grandfather back…” 

“Beru, no.” 

She takes a breath and closes her eyes, reaching out into the Force, trying to capture that same feeling she had when she’d brought her grandfather back; trying to apply it to the ghost sitting next to her. 

“Beru!” 

***** 

“You’re angry.” 

Ahsoka Tano huffs out a breath and glances at her old master. 

“You’ve had time to feel sad, and relieved and glad to see me,” Anakin says. “And we’re onto anger. So don’t sit there and stew. Out with it.” 

“You turned to the Dark Side.” 

“I did.” 

“You murdered younglings,” Ahsoka goes on, her voice raising. “Turned against the Order. Killed Padme. Made the galaxy suffer for decades!” 

“Yes.” 

Ahsoka stares at him, shaking her head. “Why?” 

Anakin looks out into hyperspace, thinking all that over, his eyes growing sad. “Because...because I was scared.”

“Of what?!” Ahsoka cries, eyes wild. 

“Of...everything,” Anakin admits. “Of Padme dying in childbirth. Of my child...children being born into a bloody, never-ending galactic war...of myself. Of a Jedi Council that refused to acknowledge how much I had given for them...of how much pain I was in, from every untreated wound and brushed-off blaster shot or bolt of electricity that hit me. And the more afraid I became, the less clearly I could think...the angrier I got...until…” 

“Why didn’t you tell Obi-Wan?” Ahsoka asks. “Or me?” 

“You were gone,” he says, narrowing his eyes at her. “You made a choice, and it was the best choice for you. I wanted you to come back, but…” 

“You knew I didn’t want to,” Ahsoka sighs. “And Obi-Wan?” 

Anakin’s face twists with guilt. “Palpetine led me to believe that he would betray me. Had already. And before I knew it, I had thrown away everything. And when the smoke cleared, Padme and our children were dead, and I had nothing but Palpetine and the Dark Side. And it was all my fault.” 

They sit in silence for a long moment, Anakin gazing back out into hyperspace. 

“On Malachor,” she says quietly. “When we fought…when you said my name…” 

“There was this...second of clarity,” he tells her. “This moment, where seeing you gave me the strength to beat back the Dark Side just enough…to see with my own eyes what I was doing...” 

“To try to ask me for help,” Ahsoka finishes. 

Anakin nods. “And then it was gone again. Until Luke.” 

“I never met him,” Ahsoka admits. “Leia, though...I knew there was something about her, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, until it came out that she and Luke were siblings. And I thought…’oh. She’s got my master’s smart mouth.’” 

Anakin laughs sadly. “God, I can’t believe I didn’t pick up on it when she and I met. I don’t know what I would have done, choking on all that Dark Side and eyeballs deep in believing my own lies and justifications...possibly killed Tarken and shoved her onto a shuttle and off the Death Star.” 

Ahsoka huffs and shakes her head. “How are you here like this? Your body was mostly machine when you died.” 

“I...I suppose part of Beru’s power is bringing people back that way she wants them,” Anakin shrugs. “I’m definitely the age I was when I died...but I’m whole.” 

“She’s powerful,” Ahsoka says quietly. “It’s no wonder Snoke wants her. But for what?” 

“Power and control,” Anakin answers as they come out of hyperspace. “Like all Sith and Dark Side users.” 

Ahsoka narrows her eyes as she spots another ship, passing them and jumping to hyperspace. “Uh...was that…” 

Anakin frowns and takes a breath. “I’m pretty sure the rest of my grandchildren were on that ship.” 

“What is with you Skywalkers?” Ahsoka grumbles. 

“I take no responsibility,” he snaps. “Those are Solos. Solos are way more trouble than Skywalkers.” 

“I don’t think you and I agree on the definition of trouble, Master.” 

***** 

“What do you MEAN gone?!”

Chewie growls angrily and waves his arms around, finally pointing to where the Millenium Falcon used to be. 

“How?!” Han cries, looking bewildered. “Ships don’t just disappear, Chewie! Somebody stole it!” 

“I think stole is a strong word,” Ezra Bridger says as he steps up. “Maybe...borrowed.” 

Han whirls around, staring at the Jedi. “You. What do you know?” 

“Well...see...here’s the thing about kids these days,” Bridger grins. “They can’t be talked out of things. So you just have to make sure they’re doing crime responsibly.” 

Han stares, wide-eyed. “LUKE! I’M GOING TO MURDER YOUR JEDI FRIEND NOW.” 

“Please don’t,” Luke says, looking curious as he walks over to them. “There’s a shortage. What’s going on?” 

“The kids stole my ship,” Han snaps. “On the advice of your friend here.” 

“Actually,” Ezra says. “They borrowed your ship, in order to go steal a Star Destroyer.” 

Han and Luke stare at the younger man for a long, silent moment.

“HOW IS THAT BETTER?!” Han yells. He breathes hard as both Jedi start to ignore him, instead looking toward the hanger, where a shuttle is making its way to land. “Who the hell is that, and why isn’t it the Falcon?” 

Ezra narrows his eyes. “Ahsoka?” 

Luke narrows his as well. “Father.” 

The color automatically drains from Han’s face. “*Father*?” 

***** 

When Anakin lands the shuttle, he doesn’t move to leave the pilot’s seat. He gazes out the windshield at his son and daughter, standing on the landing pad, waiting expectantly. He can feel their nervousness. It matches his own. 

“Master, you can’t stay here forever,” Ahsoka tells him gently as she hefts Ben up out of his seat. Thankfully he’d stayed unconscious for the ride. 

“I actually can,” Anakin grins sadly at her. “Whether I should is a completely different conversation.” 

She laughs softly. “Anakin.” 

“They won’t want to see me,” he says, before considering. “Well, Luke will. Leia won’t.” 

“Probably not. But you can’t get out of this one.” 

“Oh, no?” Anakin smirks. “Once you step off the ship with Ben, I could just take off...follow my other grandchildren...see what they’re up to.” 

“That would make you a coward,” Ahsoka points out, glowering at him. “And if there’s anything you’re not, it’s that.” 

“Don’t be so sure,” Anakin mutters, gazing back out at the twins again. “I was nothing but a coward when I was Vader.” 

“I don’t see Vader here,” she points out. “Stop being such a bantha brain and let’s go.” 

***** 

Luke takes Leia’s hand and holds it tightly. 

“What have you gotten us into?” she mutters softly, squeezing his hand. 

He grins at her sadly. “Oh, you know. Just...sired a daughter who can bring back the dead, who then brought our formerly-evil father back and now he’s coming to see us. So. Nothing too out of the ordinary.” 

“Somedays I hate you,” Leia tells him.

“I love you, too, sister dear.” 

Ahsoka steps off the shuttle first, down the ramp, dragging Ben behind her, and Leia’s eyes widen in complete shock. 

“Princess,” Ahsoka says. “I believe we have something that belongs to you.” 

Han shoves past them first, getting down on his knees to look over his son, as a tall man steps down the ramp slowly. 

He’s blond like Luke, though his hair is a little curly. A scar bisects one of his very blue eyes and his Jedi robes hang off of a muscular frame. His right hand - a mech hand - grips the shuttle as he watches everyone before him. 

Luke moves to go to him, but Leia tugs him back instinctively. 

“What the hell happened?” Han demands as he does his best to lift Ben from the ground. 

“He was holding Beru on Mustafar,” Anakin tells them. “Ahsoka went to rescue her. Beru accidentally brought me back, and Ben...well...he was very Kylo Ren about the whole thing.” 

Han rolls his eyes at the name. “Y’know. You’d think he wouldn’t follow your terrible example.” 

“You’d think,” Anakin agrees. 

Leia snorts derisively and it earns her a nudge from Luke.


End file.
